2024 AWARD RECIPIENTS
Three Winners Announced at ICI Meeting
Startup Competition
Award For Innovation in Cardiology goes to Paragate Medical, Magneto Thrombectomy Solutions, and AlchiMedics
Tel Aviv, February 2024 - The Jon DeHaan Foundation was pleased to once again support ICI Meeting's Startup Competition. Approximately forty companies from Israel and around the world participated in this event. Fourteen were selected to present during the convention for an international panel of judges. Three winners were selected to share our $200,000.00 USD Award for Innovation in Cardiology.
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Paragate Medical, founded by Dr. Yair Feld and presented by Nitai Hanani, was awarded first prize and $150,000.00 to aid in the development of their implantable device for the treatment of fluid overload in patients suffering from chronic heart or kidney failure. The technology, a pump, is implanted in the abdomen and absorbs fluids from the body using a gentle negative pressure through a suitable porous membrane. The treatment is intended for heart failure patients who accumulate fluids in the body. Paragate Medical aims to revolutionize heart failure management by shifting the weight of chronic disease treatment out of the hospital towards home-based care.
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Second place winner, Magneto Thrombectomy Solutions, is developing the eTrieve Aspiration System and Catheter. The company aims to use their system in multiple therapeutic areas, including the treatment of stroke, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and the removal of clots from the arterial system. Magneto was awarded $30,000.00 to support the continued development of their technology.
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Third prize and $20,000.00 was awarded to AlchiMedics. This company is developing an implantable solution designed to significantly reduce or eliminate anti-platelet therapy. According to their website, approximately 1.5 million patients worldwide are implanted with devices powered by AlchiMedics’ technology. ​
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This year, approximately 2000 people attended ICI Meeting in Tel Aviv. The conference brings together medical professionals, entrepreneurs, academics, and industry VC with the goal of fostering innovation in the cardiac space. The Innovation Competition takes place during the pre-conference, the Academy of Innovation, which educates participants of the business of medical innovation. ICI's mission aligns with the Jon DeHaan Foundation's activities in promoting and supporting innovation in the field of cardiovascular medicine. For more information about ICI's Academy of Innovation, visit https://icimed.org/
The Jon DeHaan Foundation rewards another innovative idea!
The competition for the Jon DeHaan Foundation Award was tough at PCR lnnovators Day 2024, but the
A-FLUX Reducer System was crowned the winner.
PCROnline.com, May 15, 2024 - Robert Schwartz, President of the Foundation, explained how the award came about: "Jon DeHaan is an amazing man - a grateful patient who had an Ml and a DES - who benefitted from cardiovascular technology and wants to foster additional innovation. We came up with the idea of focusing a section of the Foundation's work on giving innovator awards in collaboration with outstanding meetings like this. Since then, we have given away over 24 grants." He described how there are no strict rules regarding who can enter the competition, "We do not limit ourselves or set arbitrary criteria as we know that some of the best ideas are completely unexpected any novel ideas in the cardiac space are considered. lt's been successful in the past and this year is no exception. We had over 50 submissions to the PCR Committee, across a broad range of topics, and this tells us there is a great deal of interest and innovation."
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Dr. Schwartz handed over the grant of $200,000 at the ceremony, along with his best wishes for the future of the project. Nicole Karam, one of the Directors of PCR lnnovators Day, said that the award "goes way beyond money." She added, "Getting to the final and winning is a sign of encouragement from the community. lt's recognition for a great idea, it highlights how far the innovator has come and it validates that the project is heading in the right direction. The award is also a gesture of support that there is help available."
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The award was given for Rishi Puri's presentation on the A-FLUX coronary sinus reducer. Speaking later, he explained what it means to the team at VahatiCor, Inc. to win the Jon DeHaan Foundation Award competition:
"Firstly, it's a great honour simply to be chosen as a participant, let alone to be considered the 'winner.' Ultimately, we hope that patients will be the winners. The recognition and exposure are nevertheless priceless and critically important for early-phase start-ups to take their innovation to the next level. lt's been a pleasure to embark on this start-up journey with my VahatiCor cofounders, Marwan Berrada-Sounni and Omar Abdul-Jawad Altisent, who along with the great team at VahatiCor have developed a novel next-generation self-expanding coronary sinus reducer for patients with persistent ischaemic heart disease. ln only 28 months, we have been able to deliver the concept, conduct preclinical studies and have now carried out our first-in-human implant and six further implants."
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As described by Dr Puri, their innovation addresses an unmet need currently affecting a large population: "Between 30-50% of coronary angiograms performed in daily global clinical practice demonstrate coronary microvascular dysfunction. These patients bear a large symptom burden as antianginal medications are not always effective nor specific at improving coronary microvascular function -they tend to live life suffering without a tailored therapy. Coronary sinus reduction has been shown to acutely and durably improve coronary flow reserve (CFR). ln addition, a dominant proportion of heart failure patients (with preserved function and reduced ejection fraction) harbour significantly impaired CFR. Unfortunately, stenting/ CABG has not been shown to offer additive benefit to medical therapy in improving hard clinical outcomes in patients with ischaemic heart failure and often these revascularisation procedures are high risk.
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A coronary sinus-based approach could conceivably non-discriminately modulate and improve CFR in a much more potent way than selective epicardial coronary revascularisation, potentially driving significant improvements in symptoms and hard clinical outcomes." Dr Puri and VahatiCor hope that the A-FLUX Reducer System could help to fill the therapeutic void. Their next steps include trying to raise Series B funding to embark upon planned early feasibility studies.
Symbiosis Wins TCT 2024 Shark Tank
Innovation Competition
Award Recognizes Company for Adjustable Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement System
NEW YORK – November 6, 2024 – The Cardiovascular Research Foundation® (CRF®) is pleased to announce that Symbiosis has won the TCT® 2024 Shark Tank Innovation Competition for its development of an adjustable transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) system. The competition took place during Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics® (TCT®), the annual scientific symposium of CRF® and the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine, October 27-30 in Washington, DC. The winner was also presented with the Jon DeHaan Foundation Award for Innovation in Cardiology.
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“We are thrilled to name Symbiosis this year’s TCT® Shark Tank Innovation Competition winner,” said Juan F. Granada, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of CRF®. “Their invention has the potential to overcome some of the limitations of current TMVR systems by adapting to more complex anatomies.”
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Symbiosis’ ValSync is a TMVR system comprised of two balloons made of a flexible deformable material that can expand to fit the surrounding valve anatomy allowing for real-time customization of size, shape and anchoring to unique anatomy. According to the company, some of its potential benefits include a wider eligibility of patients, superior safety profile, and a short learning curve given its three-step procedure.
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“We are currently in preclinical studies to test the implant and delivery system,” said Shira Burg, DVM, PhD, Founder and CEO of Symbiosis who presented at the TCT® Shark Tank Competition. “We are also filing a pre-submission to the FDA to approve the development plan and are aiming to enter first in human testing in the third quarter of 2026. Winning the TCT® Shark Tank Competition is an honor and validates the importance of the work we are doing.”
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Now in its eleventh year, the TCT® Shark Tank Innovation Competition highlights the most current innovative device concepts and technological developments with the potential to disrupt the cardiovascular field and dramatically change how patients are treated.
“A distinguished panel of multidisciplinary experts judged the entrants on the six criteria established for the competition at its inception: unmet clinical need, technology differentiation, IP position/viability, biological proof of concept, regulatory pathway, and commercialization potential,” said Greg L. Kaluza, MD, PhD, Senior Director of Research, CRF Skirball Center for Innovation. “This year’s competition featured many groundbreaking advancements, and we are honored to recognize a company like Symbiosis for their innovation and dedication to advancing the field.”
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For the seventh year in a row, the TCT® Shark Tank Innovation Competition partnered with the Jon DeHaan Foundation to provide a $200,000 award for the winner. 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.
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“CRF® is truly grateful to the Jon DeHaan Foundation for their generous continued support of pioneers in the field dedicated to developing novel technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease,” added Dr. Granada.
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Watch Dr. Robert Schwartz interview Dr. Shira Burg about her company and their novel technology.
About CRF and TCT
The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations specializing in interventional cardiology innovation, research, and education. CRF is dedicated to helping doctors improve survival and quality of life for people suffering from heart and vascular disease. For over 30 years, CRF has helped accelerate medical breakthroughs and educated doctors on the latest treatments for heart disease. CRF’s centers of excellence include the CRF Skirball Center for Innovation, CRF Clinical Trials Center, CRF Center for Education, CRF Digital, TCTMD, and Structural Heart: The Journal of the Heart Team.
Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) is the annual scientific symposium of CRF and the premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. Every year, TCT features major medical research breakthroughs and gathers leading researchers and clinicians from around the world to present and discuss the latest evidence-based research in the field.
For more information, visit www.crf.org and www.tctconference.com
Levron Medical Wins First Place at Prestigious ICI Cardiology Conference Startup Competition
Breakthrough Heart Failure Technology Earns the Highly Respected John De-Haan Med-Tech $200,000 Innovation Award.
YOKNEAM, Israel, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Levron Medical, a pioneering Israeli medical device startup, has achieved a significant milestone by securing first place in the highly-competitive startup competition at the leading international Innovations in Cardiovascular Interventions (ICI) cardiology conference. The event showcased groundbreaking advancements in cardiovascular treatment and innovation.
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Levron Medical's revolutionary Cardiac-Respiratory Physiological Assist (CPRA) technology, branded as "Soulmate", has introduced a new category of heart failure (HF) treatment. The technology impressed a panel of expert judges and attendees, winning the highly respected $200,000 John De-Haan Med-Tech Innovation Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements in out-of-the-box technology, intellectual property, and the commercialization potential.
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"Levron Medical exemplifies the innovative spirit of Israeli startups. Securing this award highlights the brilliance of the CPRA technology and the exceptional leadership and expertise within the company," Dr. Shimon Eckhouse, Chairman of Levron Medical.
The CPRA system offers a breakthrough treatment for HF patients by addressing both cardiac and respiratory challenges in a single, comprehensive solution. During the competition, Levron's CEO, Amir Ronen, introduced the innovative CPRA technology and presented the positive results from its first-in-human clinical trial at Poria Hospital. Led by Professor Edo Birati, Head of the Cardiology Department, these initial results underscored the system's transformative potential.
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"Our vision is to provide HF patients with an innovative solution that significantly improves outcomes and quality of life," said Amir Ronen, CEO of Levron Medical. "Winning the first-place John De-Haan award at the ICI startup competition recognizes and validates our unique three-level value proposition; a combination of a novel technology introducing a new category of HF treatment, as well as a clear and lucrative business model, and a short time-to-market."
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Professor Amir Landesberg, Founder of Levron Medical, reflected on the company's achievements: "The technology is the culmination of years of meticulous research into the mechanisms of heart failure and cardiac-respiratory interactions. By understanding the underlying physiological control mechanisms, we have developed a solution that effectively shifts fluid from the lungs, alleviating congestion. The technology modulates the heart rhythm and leverages the differing effects of respiration on the heart's two chambers. This prestigious recognition by the ICI and John De-Haan award will accelerate the development of our technology and potentially shorten the timeline for clinical adoption."
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Dr. Shimon Eckhouse, Chairman of Levron Medical and a veteran entrepreneur in the medical device field, emphasized the significance of this win: "Levron Medical exemplifies the innovative spirit of Israeli startups. Securing this award highlights the brilliance of the CPRA technology and the exceptional leadership and expertise within the company. Alon Medtech Ventures is proud to nurture and grow this cutting-edge solution to improve the lives of millions of HF patients."
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Levron Medical's success at the ICI conference and its receipt of the $200,000 prize underscore its potential to set new standards in heart failure treatment.
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About Levron Medical
Levron Medical is an innovative medical device company dedicated to transforming heart failure treatment through its groundbreaking Cardiac-Respiratory Physiological Assist (CPRA) technology. Focused on improving patient outcomes and quality of life, Levron is at the forefront of advancing solutions that leverage the cardio-respiratory mechanism. For more information, please visit: www.levronmedical.com.
Media Contact
Amir Ronen, Levron Medical, Amir.Ronen@levron-medical.com, https://www.levron-medical.com/