Founded March 2017
Stage Business development
Investors The Trendlines Group
CEO Assaf Klein
Limaca Medical is developing KORA, an electro-mechanically driven endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy product for improved tumor diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) system tumors. KORA obtains higher quality core tissue for superior histopathologic analysis, improved diagnostic accuracy, and better clinical outcomes.
Limaca presents the next revolution in EUS-guided biopsy products.
Spring 2019: Initiated first in human
OpportunityThe market seeks endoscopic ultrasound biopsy needles that can retrieve core tissue with fewer stabs and increased acquisition rate for improved diagnostic accuracy and clinical outcomes.
Advancing precision medicine, enabling improved diagnosis and better prognosis • Quicker, less complicated procedure • Global EUS market potential: >$300 million; 1 million procedures • Highly experienced team — business, medicine, industry
Limaca is now funding. See the presentation (PDF). Send more information about Limaca.
15 years’ experience in medical device companies, including managerial and R&D positions; former CEO, MediValve; MBA, Bar-Ilan University; BSc, mechanical engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Director, Invasive Endoscopy Unit, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Israel
President, First Keel Consulting; former Management Board Member, VP New Business Development, Bard Peripheral Vascular & Biopsy (13 years); commercial leadership in sales, marketing, product development roles, Abbott Laboratories (13 years)
EUS-FNA is a standard, minimally invasive procedure that utilizes ultrasound imaging to guide a thin, hollow needle for tissue sampling to diagnose and evaluate benign and malignant lesions of the GI tract and adjacent organs.
Unfortunately, this procedure requires “stabbing” the lesion tens of times to acquire an adequate diagnostic sample. Current aspiration systems obtain only a 60% to 70% tissue sample acquisition rate. Even when the procedure is successful, the acquired small tissue sample is suitable for a cytological (cell) analysis only and not a complete histological (tissue) analysis.
To solve this problem, FNB was developed to remove pieces of core tissue and to enable histological analysis. While these needles are designed to reduce the number of needle stabs and to improve acquisition, current FNBs have yet to demonstrate improved superior performance when compared to FNA.
According to Limaca’s research, the global EUS biopsy product market is estimated at $300 million with over 1 million procedures.
Large global medical device and diagnostic companies are looking to expand their oncology and surgical product portfolios. Limaca offers a unique product that has the potential for undisputed product leadership to drive revenue growth.
