Procyrion has assembled $57.7 million in proceeds to continue the pivotal trial of its miniaturized pumps to help maintain blood flow in patients suffering from severe heart failure.
The company’s series E round was led by Fannin Partners, alongside backing from previous investors such as Bluebird Ventures, and includes the conversion of $10 million in previous interim financing.
Procyrion’s Aortix percutaneous, catheter-based impeller pump resides in the patient’s descending aorta within the chest, with the goal of boosting oxygen circulation to the kidneys and taking pressure off of the cardiac muscle.
This helps to break the feedback loop where hampered blood flow to the kidneys slows down their ability to remove excess fluids from the body—which can in turn increase the workload on the weakened heart—among patients who are resistant to standard diuretic medications.
“Approximately 25% of the millions of patients admitted to the hospital with [acute decompensated heart failure] are unable to be successfully treated with standard of care therapies, yet there is a lack of effective treatment options available, leading to very poor outcomes,” Procyrion President and CEO Eric Fain said in a statement.
The company also estimates that up to 25% of patients considered clinically congested after four days of medical therapy will return to the hospital or die within 30 days after discharge.
“Aortix therapy is uniquely suited for treating [cardiorenal syndrome] patients and this latest round of investment will enable the company to make significant progress toward commercialization of our technology,” Fain said.
Procyrion announced it had begun enrolling its first patients into the pivotal, randomized study late last November, with a goal of over 260 participants. The trial, comparing Aortix therapy to high-dose diuretics alone, also includes a registry for end-stage heart failure patients who are not considered candidates for a heart transplant or left ventricular assist device implant due to excessive fluid retention and poor kidney function.
The study is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The series E funding is also slated to help improve Aortix’s manufacturability and prepare the company for commercialization.
In March 2023, the Houston-based Procyrion presented clinical data from 18 patients demonstrating fluid loss and improvements in kidney and heart function in the 30 days after receiving inpatient Aortix therapy for an average of 4.6 days.