Aortyx presents bioabsorbable patch technology to reduce aortic dissection mortality rates

Aortyx, the medical device company backed by IQS-URL, has raised 13.8 million euros in Series A funding to advance its bioabsorbable aortic patch to the first clinical trials in patients within two years.

The company has developed a solution to treat aortic dissection that is minimally invasive and offers lasting results. Aortyx has designed a guidable catheter that runs through the aorta and deploys a bioabsorbable patch that also acts as a support to strengthen the growth of new tissue. At present, the technology has been successfully tested on animals and cadavers. The objective of this funding round is to achieve the first tests in humans within two years.

The founding team is formed by three researchers from the IQS School of Engineering: Jordi Martorell, Noemí Balà, and Salvador Borrós, along with the head of vascular surgery at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Vicenç Riambau. The product has generated great interest, as evidenced by the support from the Hospital Clínic, investment by a major manufacturer of aortic devices, and academic publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

“We are changing the treatment paradigm for aortic dissection and other focal aortic diseases, leveraging our combined knowledge in fluid dynamics, biomechanics, vascular biology, and minimally invasive surgery,” stated Jordi Martorell, co-founder and CEO of Aortyx.

To continue with product development, Aortyx has raised 13.8 million euros from Ship2B Ventures, through its BSocial Impact fund (supported by Banco Sabadell, the European Investment Fund, and AXIS), and Clave Capital through its Clave Innohealth vehicle (supported by CDTI-Innvierte). Nara Capital, the EIC fund, the CDTI, through its SICC Innvierte, angel investors, and one of the five main manufacturers of aortic devices in the world have also participated.

“We support Aortyx because it potentially represents a revolution in cardiovascular medicine. They are developing a solution that is not only disruptive and technically brilliant, but is also driven by a clear social purpose: to save lives where there are hardly any options currently. Led by an exceptional team and a bold vision, they have the potential to change the way we treat aortic dissection forever,” said Jordi Ferrer, Director of Investments at Ship2B Ventures.

“We are enormously excited about Aortyx. This company has emerged from a vision that will change the paradigm of how aortic dissection is approached. The technology is the result of years of research at IQS and the Hospital Clínic. They have been able to transfer this technology and advance in the development of the product for patients with the ultimate goal of saving lives,” affirmed Sergio San Agustín, Director of Investment at Clave Capital and an advisor with Aortyx.

Aortyx was founded through the desire of its founders to apply their knowledge in biomechanical engineering to a problem with the greatest possible impact on improving healthcare. They focused on aortic dissection, a condition for which treatment options, such as open surgery or endovascular stents, are invasive, dangerous, or simply ineffective. Alternatives include lowering blood pressure, which is not a long-term solution and only delays the onset of more severe symptoms. The alternative for more than a quarter of patients suffering from aortic dissection is to do nothing. Aortyx is already on its way to developing a comprehensive, effective, and durable solution that respects the nature of the body’s most important artery.