Founded December 2016; joined incubator: December 2018
Stage Technology development
Investor The Trendlines Group
CEO Nir Golan
Vvital is developing a unique transcatheter mitral valve repair solution based on the gold-standard open surgical principle known as the posterior leaflet repair method. Vvital ‘s procedure repairs the valve by positioning and attaching a unique flexible implant on top of the damaged leaflet (posterior side) and leaves the healthy leaflet (anterior side) to provide effective valve functions.
Once positioned, the Vvital implant will stop backflow immediately and prevent the leakage. Over time, the implant will promote tissue growth and become embedded within the native leaflet.
Vvital’s novel transcatheter solution—
25 years' experience in executive business management in leading global public high-tech companies and start-ups; extensive experience in business development, M&A, start-up establishment, technology, global sales, and marketing; Executive MBA, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; BA, economics, Tel Aviv University
35 years’ clinical and academic experience as cardiac surgeon and researcher; Former Director, Open-Heart Surgery Department, Sheba Medical Center; performed >7,000 open-heart procedures; leader in mitral valve repair operations in Israel; MD and Associate Professor of Surgery, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University
10 years’ R&D experience in medical device industry including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and gynecology; expertise in bio-materials, manufacturing processes, and shape memory alloys for medical applications; MSc, Bsc, material engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a disorder in which the heart’s mitral valve (comprised of two leaflets) does not close properly, causing blood to flow back into the left atrium. The prevalence of MR is greater than 10% in adults older than 75 years (Lancet 2006) and may lead to complications including lung congestion and heart failure.
Open-heart surgery (mitral valve replacement or repair) is the gold standard for treating patients with severe MR. Yet, nearly 50% of these patients are not surgical candidates due to age, frailty, and comorbidities. To treat this underserved population, the market seeks reliable and effective transcatheter mitral valve replacement/repair solutions.
According to Cardiac Interventions Today, approximately 4 million people in the United States have moderate to severe MR, with 250,000 newly diagnosed each year.
The transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement market is estimated to reach $1 billion by 2021, with the majority ($700 million) comprised of repair procedures (MedDevice Tracker, 2018).
