CoreMedic Partners With InnoRa for Development of ChordArt TMVr Device

January 17, 2025—CoreMedic GmbH recently announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with InnoRa GmbH to accelerate the clinical development of its ChordArt transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) device.

According to the company, the ChordArt TMVr system is designed to improve chordal repair procedures across all crucial parameters. These parameters include reduction of patient trauma, duration of procedure, complexity, operator dependency, and time of recovery for the patient.

The ChordArt catheter is designed to deliver implants percutaneously, allowing interventions in high-risk as well as asymptomatic patients, who are not eligible for treatment with the current gold standard of chordal replacement via open heart surgery, stated the company.

CoreMedic, located in Radolfzell, Germany, is a spin-off of the Heart Center of University of Bern in Bern, Switzerland. The company was initiated in 2012 to develop the ChordArt concept as a treatment for mitral valve regurgitation.

InnoRa, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, specializes in the research, development, and manufacturing of coated balloon catheters, stents, and other medical devices. It was founded in 2001 as a spin-off of Charité University Hospital in Berlin. InnoRa will contribute to the partnership its experience in the development of cardiovascular devices and their translation into clinical trial, stated CoreMedic.

Additionally, CoreMedic advised that the partnership includes an undisclosed investment by InnoRa. Professor Bruno Scheller, MD, Cofounder of InnoRa and an expert in interventional cardiology, will join the Supervisory Board of CoreMedic.

“Prof. Scheller is a globally renowned expert in interventional cardiology,” commented Jodi Akin, Chair of the Supervisory Board of CoreMedic, in the press release. “This comes at the exciting inflection point of our first-in-human clinical trial in Europe. We are delighted that Prof. Scheller will join the Supervisory Board of CoreMedic and contribute his outstanding scientific and clinical expertise to the company.”

CoreMedic CEO Josef Bogenschütz added, “We are thrilled to embark on our partnership with InnoRa. We are developing ChordArt to offer a superior catheter-based therapy solution for the large and growing population of patients suffering from degenerative mitral valve regurgitation. Under our new partnership, we will jointly deploy our complementary resources to accelerate clinical development of ChordArt.”

In November 2023, CoreMedic announced the first successful application of the ChordArt technology for TMVr. The company reported that the patient was treated as part of CoreMedic’s first-in-human trial for percutaneous mitral chordae tendineae replacement with the ChordArt system.