Valcare Medical Forms Scientific Advisory Board of Mitral Valve Experts

July 2, 2024—Valcare Medical, Inc., a developer of transcatheter-based mitral solutions based in Israel and Florida, announced the formation of a scientific advisory board composed of mitral valve experts.

The board will provide insight and guidance to help the company advance its research and development initiatives for the Amend mitral valve repair device.

According to Valcare, the investigational Amend mitral valve repair device is a closed, D-shaped semirigid annuloplasty ring with anchoring capabilities that is implanted percutaneously. It is intended to treat patients with severe mitral regurgitation not deemed suitable for surgery. The device is not commercially available and is limited to investigational use only, advised the company.

In April 2024, Valcare announced a comprehensive corporate restructure after its acquisition by TechWald Holding S.p.A. Valcare stated that the restructuring is aimed at accelerating the company’s plans to initiate the clinical studies of its Amend technology. In May 2024, the company announced the enrollment of the first two patients in the AMEND TS EU pilot study of the Amend transseptal system for mitral repair conducted in the European Union.

As stated in the company’s press release, Valcare’s Scientific Advisory Board includes the following members:

• Isaac George, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery and Medicine and Surgical Director of Structural Heart at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York, New York
• Scott Lim, MD, Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada
• Paul Sorajja, MD, the Roger L. and Lynn C. Headrick Family Chair of the Valve Science Center at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Director of the Center for Valve and Structural Heart Disease at the Minneapolis Heart Institute
• Azeem Latib, MD, Director of Structural Heart Interventions at Montefiore Health System in New York, New York
• Federico DeMarco, MD, head of the Structural Heart Program and the Interventional, Valvular, and Structural Heart Interventions Unit at Centro Cardiologico Monzino in Milan, Italy

“We are excited to be joined and supported by some of the world’s leading pioneers in mitral valve therapies,” commented Valcare Medical’s CMO David Meerkin, MD, in the press release. “Their combined experience and collective insights will greatly assist Valcare at this critical point as we significantly broaden and deepen our clinical experience.”

Steve Sandweg, Valcare Medical’s CEO, added, “We are honored to have these accomplished mitral valve experts join Valcare Medical’s Scientific Advisory Board. Each of these individuals has made significant contributions and helped pioneer breakthroughs in the treatment of mitral valve disease. We look forward to leveraging the vast expertise of our Scientific Advisory Board to help drive Valcare’s clinical and regulatory strategy.”