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NIH awards Sonavex, Inc. $3 million grant to pursue new vascular surgery applications for EchoMark & EchoSure

Press releases may be edited for formatting or style | August 29, 2019 Cardiology Operating Room
Sonavex, Inc., a privately held medical device company focused on empowered patient care, announced that it received a $3 million Phase IIB Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health to use its EchoMark & EchoSure devices to support arteriovenous (AV) fistula maturation and long-term viability. The award provides capital for prospective clinical studies and continued research and development efforts.

There are millions of patients worldwide with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) that require dialysis to sustain life. Though an AV fistula is the preferred and most cost-effective method for vascular access, the procedure is plagued with high short- and long-term failure rates. Up to 50% of AV fistulae suffer primary failure and are never used because they do not mature into a suitable dialysis access, often resulting in a delay in starting dialysis, or requiring placement of an artificial dialysis catheter. Even after fistulae mature successfully, the primary failure rate is approximately 33% at 1-year and 50% at 2-years. In addition to the substantial morbidity, healthcare costs associated with ESRD are substantial and represent 7% of the total CMS budget, over $26 billion per year.

The grant follows Sonavex’s FDA clearance for its EchoSure 3D ultrasound system in March of 2019. EchoSure combines 3D ultrasound imaging with advanced deep learning algorithms to automate visual and quantitative blood flow monitoring after surgery. Coupled with Sonavex’s FDA-cleared EchoMark bioresorbable markers, EchoSure eliminates the need for specialized ultrasound training in order to measure blood flow and greatly shortens the time to collect data. Though ultrasound-based flow measurements have been proven to improve the success of both AV fistula maturation and patency, use of conventional ultrasound has been limited by its time-consuming nature and need for a highly trained and formally certified professional ultrasonographer. “This Phase IIB grant will allow us to complete the important research and clinical trials necessary to improve the lives of dialysis patients.” said David Narrow, CEO of Sonavex. “Support from the NIH has been instrumental to our company’s early success and we are elated to continue our collaborative relationship as we expand the utility of our devices to help more patients.”

The new technology will help to provide a better standard of care for hemodialysis patients by providing simple and routine assessment of fistula health during routine clinic visits.


About Sonavex, Inc.
Sonavex, Inc. is a Baltimore-based medical device company originally spun out of Johns Hopkins. The company has developed a portfolio of novel ultrasound solutions that empower patient care by delivering critical visual and quantitative data to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

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