Nyra Medical has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Jon DeHaan Foundation Award for Cardiovascular Innovation, presented during EuroPCR 2026 (19–22 May, Paris, France).
The Jon DeHaan Foundation Award recognises breakthrough cardiovascular technologies with the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes and advance the future of cardiovascular care. Recipients are selected based on factors including clinical need, technological innovation, intellectual property, proof of concept, regulatory readiness, and commercial potential.
Nyra Medical was selected for its development of the Carlen system, a novel transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) technology designed to preserve native valve function while expanding treatment options for patients with functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), including many who remain underserved by current transcatheter therapies.
This milestone follows successful first-in-human clinical experience with the device.
“Receiving the Jon DeHaan Foundation Award is an extraordinary honour and a meaningful validation of both our technology and our mission,” said Lori Chmura, CEO of Nyra Medical. “Carlen was developed to address critical limitations in current transcatheter mitral repair approaches and expand treatment options for patients living with functional mitral regurgitation. This recognition reinforces our belief that preserving native valve function through a less complex and more adaptable approach has the potential to improve outcomes for a broader patient population. We are grateful to the Foundation, EuroPCR, our clinical investigators, the patients and our team for helping advance this important work.”
“The Jon DeHaan Foundation Award is intended to recognise innovations that address meaningful unmet clinical needs while demonstrating strong scientific, clinical, and commercial potential,” said Tom DeHaan, Jon DeHaan Foundation Trustee. “Nyra Medical’s CARLEN technology represents a thoughtful and differentiated approach to mitral valve repair.”
Functional mitral regurgitation affects millions of patients worldwide and remains associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilisation. Despite advances in transcatheter therapies, many patients remain untreated or are not optimal candidates for existing approaches. Nyra Medical’s Carlen system was designed to address this unmet need by augmenting leaflet coaptation while preserving native anatomy and supporting future treatment flexibility.
Early clinical results were presented at EuroPCR by Susheel Kodali (New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA) who highlighted the encouraging safety and performance outcomes observed to date and the need for continued investigation in a broader patient population.
“The early clinical results support continued evaluation of Carlen as a promising new approach to mitral valve repair,” said Kodali. “As physicians, we are continually seeking therapies that can expand treatment options for patients with mitral regurgitation while preserving future therapeutic pathways. These early findings provide an important foundation for continued clinical study.”
