The National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Embolx a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant valued at $2m for further development of pressure-directed embolization therapy.
The SBIR grant will fund further research and development of Embolx’s future generation Sniper balloon occlusion microcatheter, an innovative system for pressure-directed embolization therapy.
The Sniper balloon occlusion microcatheter alters blood flow-dynamics by controlling pressure to increase therapeutic agent delivery into target areas for the treatment of cancerous tumors, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and uterine fibroids.
This therapy allows interventional radiologist physicians to deliver drugs and embolic agents to only targeted treatment areas while protecting surrounding healthy tissues.
Embolx CEO and president Michael Allen said: “We are excited for the opportunity to further our unique technology and advance minimally invasive cancer and BPH therapy.
“This NIH grant, and recently completed $5.5 million Series B financing, will accelerate our efforts to develop high performing medical devices that support better patient outcomes.”
The Phase II portion of the grant will build on completed work done in Phase I to develop an advanced generation of the Sniper microcatheter. With this new advanced device, interventional radiologists will have the capability of monitoring pressure in the vicinity of a tumor, tracking embolization progress in real-time and achieving a quantitative embolization endpoint, thereby improving reproducibility and efficacy of transarterial embolization procedures.
The co-investigator for this grant is Sanjay Gupta, M.D., chair ad interim, Department of Interventional Radiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
The National Institute of Health Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program funds early stage small businesses that are seeking to commercialize innovative technologies to improve health.
This competitive program uses a rigorous peer review system to ensure only the most meritorious scientific proposals are funded.
Embolx is an emerging commercial-stage medical device company in Silicon Valley developing microcatheters for arterial embolization procedures.
Embolx is committed to dramatically improving the treatment of a variety of conditions including cancerous tumors, benign prostatic hyperplasia and uterine fibroids.
Source: Company Press Release