Barcelona-based Aortyx has developed a life-saving vascular patch that can mend torn aortas, and plans to test the new devices in a clinical trial with humans within two years.
Spanish venture capital fund Ship2B Ventures has invested €13.8m in Aortyx, which has developed a treatment for aortic dissection, an often fatal condition which currently affects around 50,000 people in Europe alone.
Aortic dissection occurs when the inner layer of the aorta, which is the body’s main artery, tears and allows blood to flow between the layers of the artery wall. Once this occurs, there is a high risk of rupture, which can lead to massive internal bleeding, multi-organ failure and, in many cases, death.
At the moment, no real treatment exists for the condition, which typically affects between two and six people in every 100,000, according to Aortyx. Existing treatments, such as open surgery or endovascular stenting, are often invasive and risky, or not effective. Other alternatives such as lowering blood pressure aren’t considered as viable long-term solutions as they only postpone the onset of more severe symptoms, according to Aortyx.
Aortyx was founded in 2018 by researchers from the IQS School of Engineering and the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. It is working on developing a new generation of medical devices capable of treating vascular diseases.
To treat aortic dissection, Aortyx has developed a patch that is put into the body via a catheter that can navigate the aorta. The adhesive patches are designed to repair the aortic tear in a minimally invasive manner, and stimulate tissue regeneration. The patches will eventually dissolve.
Adhesive patch
Having successfully tested the technology on animals and cadavers, Aortyx said it plans to test the new devices in a clinical trial with humans within two years.
“We are supporting Aortyx because it has the potential to revolutionise cardiovascular medicine. They are developing a solution that is not only disruptive and technically brilliant, but also driven by a clear social mission: to save lives where today there are barely any options. Led by an exceptional team with a bold vision, they have the potential to change forever the way we treat aortic dissections,” said Jordi Ferrer, investment director at Ship2B Ventures.
Ship2B, which focuses on impact startups tackling social and environmental challenges, made the investment through its Bsocial Impact Fund, which is backed by Banc Sabadell, the European Investment Fund and others. Previous investments include mobility startup Ciclogreen, organic agricultural solutions provider Nostoc and edtech Fiction Express, all based in Spain.
