Venus Medtech buys Transcatheter Technologies

Transcatheter Technologies GmbH has sold its technology portfolio to Venus Medtech, a leading heart valve developer in China. Building on the technology from Transcatheter Technologies, Venus Medtech will develop and market a next generation product portfolio for the Chinese and international market. Venus Medtech (HangZhou) Inc. is developing and manufacturing a state-of-the-art intervention system for the implantation of synthetic heart valves. Its transcatheter aortic valve has completed clinical studies and follow-up and is now waiting on licensing by the Chinese health authority - China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA).

The company’s transcatheter pulmonary valve is coming close to the completion of the clinical studies. Both valves are anticipated to be the first licensed transcatheter valves in China. Venus Medtech has dedicated itself to the goal of becoming a worldwide supplier of transcatheter heart valves. In the last month it announced an investment amounting to 37 million US dollars by Goldman Sachs, which will flow into research and development and marketing activities for heart valve products by Venus Medtech.

"Transcatheter Technologies started up with the goal of making non-invasive heart valve implantations safer, so that more patients can profit from the procedure. The contract with Venus Medtech helps us to continue this mission. It will also drive forward the further development of our next generation technology platform in the treatment of various structural heart disease on the Chinese market", commented cardiac surgeon Dr. Wolfgang Götz, one of the founders of Transcatheter Technologies. "The first clinical results achieved by the so-called TAVI system Trinity were very impressive", commented the principal investigator Prof. Dr. Christian Hengstenberg, Cardiology at the German Heart Center in Munich. "In contrast to the second generation TAVI systems, the Trinity aortic valves are positioned or repositioned in a precise manner, even post  complete implantation".

"Under the direction of Dr. Goetz, Transcatheter Technologies has developed not only one but three next generation technologies, which play an important role in the treatment of patients with structural heart disease in China and the rest of the world", commented Christoph Brandenberger, Managing Director, Healthios Capital Markets. "Dr. Goetz has proven that he is able to rapidly develop and cost-effectively validate relevant technology." In 2008 Dr. Goetz and the engineer Hou-Sen Lim founded the predecessor company EndoCor in Singapore. One year later they founded Transcatheter Technologies GmbH at BioPark Regensburg. With seed capital from Hightech Start-Up Fund and Bayern Kapital, the company developed its prototypes and was able to acquire investors such as KfW, EFRE Start-up Fund and Tubalex Beteiligungs GmbH. The technology platform also convinced private investors such as the enterpreneur and business angel Dr. Rolf Käse.

The managing director of the BioPark Dr. Thomas Diefenthal was delighted that once again a successful product from BioPark Regensburg has been able conquer the world market. "It would be great if more institutions and private investors could  recognize and use the opportunities for a profitable investment in technologies on-site", wishes Dr. Diefenthal.