Cagent Vascular raises $11.87M to fund the growth and expansion of the Serranator family of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) serration balloon catheters

July 12th, 2018

WAYNE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)—Cagent Vascular®, a developer of next generation angioplasty balloons using proprietary serration technology, announced the completion of $11.87 million in Series B funding. The round was led by two strategic investors including one that participated in the Series A financing. Additional participants included Balestier Investments, Ben Franklin Technology Partners1, Synergy Ventures, and other private investors. Proceeds will be used to scale manufacturing and initiate a limited launch of Cagent Vascular’s first product, the Serranator® Alto. Further uses of proceeds include supporting development efforts to build upon existing confirmatory data, expanding indications, and receiving additional regulatory clearances. The next product in the Serranator family of PTA serration balloon catheters will be the Serranator Bass, for use in infrapopliteal arteries.
“The breadth and diversity of the investor base reflects an understanding of the value proposition that this technology delivers,” stated CEO, Carol A. Burns.
The Serranator® is an angioplasty device with serrated metal strips embedded on a semi-compliant balloon. The Serranator’s unique technology is designed to create multiple longitudinal lines of interrupted micro-serrations within the luminal surface to aid in arterial expansion. The result is predictable and controlled lumen gain. The company’s first device, the Serranator Alto, performed well in the above-the-knee PRELUDE study, especially in a subset of patients with severe calcium. It received FDA 510(k) clearance and CE Marking in 2017 and is indicated for the treatment of diseased femoral and popliteal arteries, dysfunctional AV access grafts and AV fistulae.
“The Serranator’s serration technology is unique in that it combines an effective vessel dilatation technology with a highly deliverable system on a single platform. In my experience, it is quite effective in calcified or highly fibrotic lesions where balloon angioplasty has historically fallen short,” explained Mahmood K. Razavi, MD, a vascular & interventional radiology specialist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA.
“We believe that the Serranator Alto’s ability to operate even in highly calcified vessels is a significant differentiating factor for the product, which owes its performance to the serrated metal strips that score the lesion and aid in dilatation,” added Carol A. Burns. “We are confident that these characteristics will benefit our Serranator Bass product, which is designed for use in diseased infrapopliteal arteries where current treatment options are generally poor due to the diffuse calcified nature of these vessels. Treatment of Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) remains an enormous area of interest where we believe the device will shine and will become the new standard of care for below-the-knee interventions.”

1 This project is supported by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority.

Cagent Vascular Announces CE Mark of Serranator®, Next Generation Device for Vessel Dilatation in Peripheral Artery Disease Interventions

Serranator® has achieved regulatory approvals from both FDA and European Medicines Agency, paving way for successful commercialization

November 20th, 2017

WAYNE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)—Cagent Vascular, a developer of next-generation technology for vessel dilatation in cardiovascular disease interventions, announces the issuance of its CE Marking for the Serranator ® PTA Serration Balloon Catheter.  Cagent Vascular has also achieved its ISO 13485 Certification.  The Serranator® is one of a family of peripheral artery disease (PAD) technologies which incorporates proprietary Serration Technology to an angioplasty balloon.   

The Serranator® has four embedded metal strips on an angioplasty balloon designed to create multiple longitudinal lines of interrupted micro-serrations to aid arterial expansion.  Material that is serrated is more responsive to directed energy. In angioplasty, the serrated lines are more responsive to the balloon’s energy, thus achieving lumen expansion in a controlled and predictable way.

“Angioplasty is simple and inexpensive but doesn’t work very well. A distinct and unique advantage of the Serranator® is that it capitalizes on the simplicity and familiarity of angioplasty while introducing a new and more effective method of vessel expansion,” states Chief Medical Officer and co-founder Dr. Peter Schneider.  

“Achieving CE Marking is an important milestone as we build upon physician enthusiasm for our device and finalize plans for successful commercialization,” says CEO Carol Burns. “In addition to the Serranator® Alto device for use in treating diseased SFA and popliteal arteries, we are developing the Serranator® Bass for the infrapopliteal arteries.  Both devices are expected to be part of the commercial product offering in 2018. We believe both devices have the potential to be best-in-class devices.”

At this years’ TCT Conference, Dr. William Gray presented the PRELUDE study results.  The study (n=25) assessed the Serranator® Alto device in the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries. The subject population included 28% with a Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO). In 56% there was moderate to severe calcification as determined by the Yale Angiographic Core Laboratory. The acute results showed 100% device technical success and improvement in lumen gain from an average diameter stenosis of 88% to 23% after Serranator® use. The bailout stent rate was 4%. There were no flow limiting dissections nor major adverse events. A subset of subjects (n=10) had Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) or Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) imaging performed after Serranator® use.  A serration effect was shown in all 10 subjects. “The study showed safe and effective treatment in critical femoro-popliteal lesions with a low bailout stent rate and low final residual stenosis,” says Dr. Gray.

Cagent Vascular received FDA Clearance for its first product, Serranator ® Alto, early this year. It is indicated for dilatation of lesions in the iliac, femoral, iliofemoral, and popliteal arteries and for the treatment of obstructive lesions of native or synthetic arteriovenous dialysis fistulae.

CAGENT VASCULAR COMPLETES ENROLLMENT OF PRELUDE STUDY USING SERRANATOR DEVICE