$60M For Ultrasound Blood Pressure Treatment

A high blood pressure treatment that uses ultrasound waves to burn nerves has raised $60 million.

Israeli company SoniVie has developed a catheter that generates ultrasound waves, which are absorbed by artery walls.

It heats nerves to the point where they are ‘dead’ and can no longer pass signals to other nerves. They can no longer release sympathetic hormones, which results in the blood vessels relaxing, and a subsequent drop in blood pressure. 

The minimally invasive investigational procedure – known as the TIVUS (Therapeutic Intra-Vascular Ultrasound System) – can be used for patients suffering from hypertension, which impacts millions of people worldwide and substantially increases their risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

More specifically, it can treat pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in blood vessels leading from heart to lungs), and resistant hypertension, or blood pressure that doesn’t drop despite high drug doses.

“We are very pleased that this financing round concluded with such a resounding success” said Tomaso Zambelli, CEO of SoniVie.

Raphaël Wisniewski of Andera Partners, which led the financing round, said: “SoniVie TIVUS has the potential to provide patients and physicians with a safe, efficient and easy to use device.”

SoniVie was founded in 2014, and is based in Rosh Ha’Ayin, Central Israel.