CorWave Announces Successful Completion of 6-Month Chronic In Vivo Study, Paving the Way for Clinical Trial Initiation

Business Wire

24-04-2025

CLICHY, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CorWave, a medical device company dedicated to the fight against heart failure, announces new preclinical results of its implantable heart pump.
CorWave's in vivo studies demonstrated the pump's successful operation for six months. Additionally, nine chronic ovine implants were conducted for 60 days, without chronic anticoagulant therapy. There was no device failure during the studies and no sign of thrombosis at explant. The CorWave device operated in pulsatile mode, synchronizing with the native heart rate. These studies underpin the device's thromboresistance, stable algorithm, and hemocompatibility. These significant milestones mark the final stage of CorWave's preclinical development, paving the way for its First-In-Human study.
CorWave is developing an implantable LVAD (Left Ventricular Assist Device) driven by its proprietary breakthrough wave membrane pump technology. This unique pumping mechanism, combined with a smart algorithm, enables the CorWave pump to adapt its flow to patients' activity levels and preserve physiological balance, aiming to reduce adverse events and improve quality of life.
'This technology has the potential to shape the future of long term mechanical circulatory support. It can overcome current limitations of rotary blood pumps and create real smart and adaptive circulatory support: the results of the preclinical studies were excellent. Beyond the objectives of the study, additional animals were successfully followed up for six months with convincing pump performance. I am excited to see this new device taking the next steps into clinical practice.' commented Dr. Martin Strueber, cardiac surgeon who supported the company in the preclinical development.
'CorWave's novel self-adaptive, smart LVAD has demonstrated excellent preclinical results, with no device-related failures and complications. Surgical implantations were uneventful and intuitive. The newly introduced control algorithm allowed synchronous support, either in co-pulsation or counter-pulsation mode, and operated reliably throughout the study. Safety and feasibility have been successfully demonstrated, paving the way for clinical trials,' added Dr. Sebastian Schulte Eistrup, cardiac surgeon who was also involved in the in vivo studies.
'These results not only meet the highest standards in the LVAD industry but also indicate potential clinical advantages over rotary blood pumps that have been in use since the late 1990s. Following these significant milestones, the team is now actively preparing for the clinical introduction of the device,' concluded Louis de Lillers, CEO.
About CorWave:
CorWave is a French company that develops and manufactures innovative cardiac assist devices. The CorWave undulating membrane is a breakthrough technology that differs from today's commercially available left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) by its physiological operation, designed to mimic a pulse and blood flow rates similar to those of a healthy heart. Ultimately, CorWave's membrane pump technology is expected to reduce the complications associated with current devices and improve the management of heart failure patients. A member of the French Tech 120, CorWave was founded in 2012 by the start-up studio MD Start and is funded by renowned investors including Bpifrance, EIC Fund, Financière Arbevel, M&L Healthcare, Novo Holdings, Seventure Partners, Sofinnova Partners, Ysios Capital and Vlerick Group. The company has secured over €80 million in equity capital and employs over eighty people. In October 2023, after more than ten years of research and development, CorWave scaled up to an industrial level with the inauguration of its urban factory in Clichy. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the facility is designed to produce up to 1,000 pumps per year, representing a potential revenue of approximately €100 million.