Funding to Accelerate Commercialization of the Optimizer Smart System for Heart Failure
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. – December 3, 2019 – Impulse Dynamics, developer of Optimizer® Smart System for delivering CCM™ therapy, announced the completion of an $80.25 million Series D financing with new investors. The proceeds will be used primarily to facilitate U.S. commercialization of the Optimizer Smart, an FDA-approved implantable device for treating chronic heart failure that has been proven to strengthen the heart and help it beat more forcibly. Led by well-respected medical technology investor Amzak Health Investors, the round also included Wellington Management, Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, Acorn Biosciences and Minth Holdings Limited; strategic investors Zoll Medical Corporation, Abiomed and one additional corporate investor; and the company’s chief executive and chief financial officers.
“This development brings encouraging news to the vast number of heart failure patients in the U.S. and around the world who suffer poor quality of life and have run out of viable options to treat their disease,” said Simos Kedikoglou, CEO of Impulse Dynamics. “We are extremely pleased that our new strategic and financial investors recognize the significant potential of cardiac contractility modulation, or CCM therapy, with the Optimizer Smart. We look forward to accelerating the ramp-up of our commercial operations, particularly in the U.S. where we are just entering the market thanks to our two recent FDA approvals and CMS Transitional Pass-through payment approval, to make this potential a reality for physicians and their patients.”
Heart failure is a chronic and progressive condition affecting an estimated 26 million people worldwide, with nearly 6 million of those in the U.S. alone.1,2 In people living with the disease, the heart is not able to pump forcibly enough to meet the body’s needs. Over time, this leads to symptoms including breathlessness and fatigue, making even simple, everyday activities challenging. First-line prescription medications can ease early symptoms, but do not help with the progression of the disease and may cause side effects and have decreased effectiveness over time. For eligible patients, CCM therapy with the Optimizer Smart may offer a new alternative to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life. This population represents approximately 70 percent of NYHA Class III heart failure patients who remain symptomatic despite guideline-directed medical therapy.
In connection with the financing, Joyce Erony, managing partner at Amzak Health Investors, will join the Impulse Dynamics board of directors. “This is a very exciting time for a company that has achieved significant milestones in 2019 and is now launching their product in the United States. We are very excited about the opportunity to improve the quality of life for heart failure patients with this breakthrough therapy and we look forward to joining the Impulse team.”
“With CCM, Impulse Dynamics has developed a very important new therapy for a large and growing patient population who until now have had no real treatment alternatives,” said Rich Gumer, managing director of Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, which has invested a combined $25 million of debt and equity in the company. “Our additional investment will help the company deliver a positive impact on a much larger scale – improving patient outcomes and generating significant savings to the healthcare system.”
About the Optimizer® and CCM® Therapy
The Optimizer Smart system delivers CCM therapy — the company’s proprietary technology — to the heart. CCM therapy has been designed by Impulse Dynamics to significantly improve the heart’s contraction, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to be pushed out through the body. CCM therapy is indicated to improve the 6-minute hall walk, quality of life, and functional status of NYHA Class III heart failure patients who remain symptomatic despite guideline-directed medical therapy, are not indicated for CRT, and have a left ventricular ejection fraction ranging from 25 to 45 percent.
CCM is the brand name for cardiac contractility modulation — the non-excitatory electrical pulses delivered by the implantable Optimizer device to improve heart contraction. CCM therapy sends unique electrical pulses to the heart cells during the absolute refractory period. In doing so, CCM helps the heart contract more forcibly. Impulse Dynamics has completed numerous clinical studies, including several randomized controlled trials, and CCM therapy has been published in more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles.
About Impulse Dynamics
Impulse Dynamics is dedicated to advancing the treatment of heart failure for patients and the healthcare providers who care for them. The company pioneered its proprietary CCM therapy, which uses the Optimizer platform to improve quality of life in heart failure patients. CCM therapy is delivered through the Optimizer system, which includes an IPG implanted in a minimally invasive procedure and approved for commercial use in the United States and 44 countries worldwide. CCM therapy has proven safe and effective for heart failure patients with debilitating symptoms who otherwise have few effective options available to them. To learn more, visit www.ImpulseDynamics.com, or follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
Forward-looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘target,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘contemplate,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘predict,’’ ‘‘potential’’ or ‘‘continue’’ or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning potential benefits of CCM therapy, the continued momentum for the adoption of CCM therapy and use of the Optimizer Smart system globally; the ability for CCM therapy and our products and technology to fill a significant unmet medical need for patients with heart failure; and the short-term and long-term benefits of the Optimizer system and CCM therapy in patients with heart failure, as well as to the physicians treating those patients. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Other important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contemplated in this press release include, without limitation: the company’s future research and development costs, capital requirements and the company’s needs for additional financing; company’s ability to expand and grow its business into new geographic markets; commercial success and market acceptance of CCM therapy; the company’s ability to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for its Optimizer systems or any future products the company may seek to commercialize; competitive companies and technologies in the industry; the company’s ability to expand its indications and develop and commercialize additional products and enhancements to its current products; the company’s business model and strategic plans for its products, technologies and business, including its implementation thereof; the company’s ability to expand, manage and maintain its direct sales and marketing organization; the company’s ability to commercialize or obtain regulatory approvals for CCM therapy and its products, or the effect of delays in commercializing or obtaining regulatory approvals; FDA or other U.S. or foreign regulatory actions affecting us or the healthcare industry generally, including healthcare reform measures in the United States and international markets; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; and the company’s ability to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for CCM therapy and products or avoid claims of infringement. The company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements and expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Impulse Dynamics (USA), Inc.
50 Lake Center Executive Park, 401 Route 73 N, ‐ Building 50 Suite 100
Marlton, NJ 08053
Phone: (856) 642‐9933
www.impulse‐dynamics.com
INVESTOR RELATIONS:
Harriss Currie
CFO
Impulse Dynamics
hcurrie@impulsedynamics.com
856-642-9933
MARKETING OPERATIONS:
Rohan More
Global Vice President, Marketing
Impulse Dynamics
rmore@impulsedynamics.com
856-642-9933
PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Ian Segal
Manager, Public Relations
Impulse Dynamics
isegal@impulsedynamics.com
856-642-9933
References
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5494150/
2 Mozzafarian D, Benjamin EJ, Go AS, et al. on behalf of the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2016 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2016;133:e38-e360.