Start-Up Previews (05/2011)
Executive Summary
A preview of the emerging health companies profiled in the current issue of Start-Up. This month's profile group, "Rare Disease Research: Where Compassion Meets Commerce," features profiles of Afraxis, bluebird bio, Edimer Pharmaceuticals and Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: AirXpanders, Arterion, CortiCare and Sirius Implantable Systems.
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Sirius Implantable Systems Ltd.
Intertwining technologies of a miniature left ventricular pacemaker with a leadless electrode from Israeli-based Sirius Implantable Systems Ltd. may someday improve the quality of pacing therapy and reduce the incidence of complications associated with conventional electrical wiring for standard pacemakers. Sirius' unique self-powered pacemaker and the leadless electrode will be implanted on the left side of the heart by minimally invasive surgery and can be matched with any standard pacing device in the market.
CortiCare Inc.
In a perfect world, every critical care patient prone to seizures would be continuously monitored for brain activity. The reality, though, is that only a fraction of these patients are because of expense and medical priorities. CortiCare Inc. hopes to boost that low percentage by offering hospitals an outsourced service that remotely monitors brain activity. It will be promoted as a complete turn-key operation: patient set-up, equipment set-up and monitoring from a remote location.
AirXpanders Inc.
Women who undergo mastectomy for breast cancer may soon be able to play a more active role in their recovery. An implanted tissue expansion system from AirXpanders Inc. uses compressed carbon dioxide to stretch existing tissue in preparation for a permanent breast implant. The patient is also given an external handheld dose controller that releases small amounts of CO2 into the tissue expander, up to three times daily for about two weeks.