HeartPoint Global was named winner in the Shark Tank Innovation Competition at the 2023 TCT conference (23–26 October, San Francisco, USA) for its novel multi-lumen stent system for interventional adjustment of pulmonary blood flow in congenital heart disease, Intellistent.
“Heartpoint Global’s pioneering approach to treating pulmonary arterial hypertension caused by congenital heart disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH-CHD) stood out due to its potential to address a significant unmet clinical need,” said Juan F Granada, CEO and President of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). “It was selected as the winner by a distinguished panel of judges, including physician innovators, physician investors, and experts actively involved in building companies and developing innovative, high-impact therapies.”
Intellistent is described by Heartpoint Global as a groundbreaking multi-lumen stent system for interventional adjustment of pulmonary blood flow to treat PAH-CHD. It reproduces the effects of the validated surgical therapy, pulmonary artery banding, and is patented in over 20 countries, including the USA, European Union, and China. The device is placed in the main pulmonary artery and the arterial branches and allows for the adjustment of blood flow in the heart lung system. Patients with severe PAH can become surgical candidates after Intellistent treatment (bridge-to-surgery). The technology embedded in Intellistent will be used to treat many other indications.
Previous successful pre-clinical tests of the implant system studied the direct placement of the device in the main pulmonary artery and bilateral delivery in the left and right pulmonary arteries and branches. Research presented at TCT by Elena K Amin (University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA) and a member of HeartPoint Global’s advisory board, demonstrated first proof-of-concept results showing that reversible pulmonary artery banding in left ventricle failure with preserved right ventricle function provides a novel alternative as a ‘bridge-to transplant’ or as an alternative to destination therapy in infants and children with advanced left ventricle dilated cardiomyopathy.
Seth Bogner, Chairman and CEO of HeartPoint Global said: “We are deeply honoured to be bestowed with this prestigious award. TCT stands as a pinnacle platform for highlighting innovation in cardiovascular medicine. Having our technology acknowledged by such a distinguished panel of judges is truly humbling. We are eager to forge ahead with HeartPoint Global’s in-human trials and anticipate its substantial clinical impact in the future.”
The TCT Shark Tank Innovation Competition has partnered with the Jon DeHaan Foundation for six years to provide a $200,000 award for the winner. The Shark Tank Innovation Competition aims to identify and showcase groundbreaking concepts in modern cardiovascular medicine. This year, six companies were chosen to present at TCT. The Jon DeHaan Foundation is dedicated to supporting those working to advance cardiac medicine and provides grants and awards to individuals and companies who focus on innovative developments in cardiovascular medicine, including research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation.
