TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 9 33 sick to be eligible for an LVAD anyway, which is where CorInnova believes it can serve as an alterna- tive. CorInnova also says the device can help solve another problem— heart failure that occurs after heart attack, due to structural changes in the heart. Outfitting those patients with the device could help prevent the heart from enlarging following a heart attack by enhancing the correct motion of the heart, Altman said. Since 2015, the device has been tested in 20 large animal studies, primarily at Texas Heart Institute and at Texas A&M University. Preliminary results show that it can increase cardiac output by 50 percent in animals. For now, the company is focus- ing on clinical applications in which the device would be used for about a week, although one device tested successfully for 100 days. CorInnova leaders believe that, theoretically, they can create a device that can be used for at least three years. Next year, the company will begin designing a version of the device that is sized for humans, and by the end of 2021, it hopes to com- plete its first study in 6 to 10 people. For Altman, the work his company is doing is personal. "My father-in-law died two years ago from heart failure," he said. "He is precisely the kind of person who could have used this device." Pressure-relief channel Alleviant Medical is developing a new, minimally-invasive device that relieves pressure buildup in the left atrium of the heart, one of the key drivers of heart failure. Millions of patients suffer from congestive heart failure, and Alleviant expects its pioneering therapy to be a good fit for about a quarter of them—those sick enough to be hospitalized occasionally, but healthy enough that they don't yet need a heart transplant. The company is making rapid progress. The device is being tested on pigs at Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Heart Institute, and functioning as intended, said CEO and co-founder Jacob Kriegel, M.D. "Our early results have been promising and exciting," Kriegel said. "The last couple months have included a dramatic increase in testing the device, rather than conceptualizing and prototyping the device." Congestive heart failure mainly affects older adults. Over time, the heart's pumping mechanism grows weaker and the organ can't circulate blood effectively. Patients experience a buildup of pressure in the left atrium of the heart, leading to shortness of breath and a feeling often compared to drowning, due to a buildup of fluid in the lungs. The condition can result in several hos- pitalizations per year and, eventu- ally, may require a heart transplant. Congestive heart failure is notoriously difficult to treat. Prescription medication can treat the symptoms but does not address the root problem, Kriegel said. Other interventions may require inserting a stent in the heart, which also comes with risks. In recent years, Kriegel said, researchers have discovered that reducing left atrial pressure can improve symptoms. Alleviant's innovation is a sort of "pressure- relief channel" that creates a connection between the left and right atrium of the heart, allowing blood to flow from the former to the latter. "Basically, we're shifting pressure around to a different area of the heart that can handle it much better," Kriegel said. In 2017, Alleviant was one of five firms that received the first round of investments from the TMC Venture Fund. "They have already captured a lot of attention from investors and strategic partners, so hopefully this revolutionary method of alleviating congestive heart failure will soon be available in the market," said Garaizar, director of the fund. Alleviant is a "TMC company, born and bred," Kriegel said. The device grew out of its founders' par- ticipation in TMC Biodesign, TMC's one-year innovation fellowship, and the company matured while it par- ticipated in TMCx, TMC's business accelerator. Now, it's based out of TMCx+, TMC's coworking space for health care startups. "The cardiovascular community here is strong," Kriegel said. "I think it's been a big advantage for us to be here." Alex Arevalos, Ph.D., chief technology officer of Alleviant, speaks with Avni Patel, chief operating officer, who is holding a model of the atrial chamber. h e a r t h e a l t h

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