Vesalius Cardiovascular Appoints Dr. John Webb to Lead Clinical Advisory Board
Dr. John G. Webb ● Photo Credit: Vesalius Cardiovascular
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, October 29, 2024 (BUSINESS WATCH GLOBAL) – Vesalius Cardiovascular, a medical device company specializing in non-invasive treatments for heart valve diseases, has announced the formation of its Clinical Advisory Board, with the key appointment of Dr. John G. Webb. Dr. Webb is an Interventional Cardiologist and McLeod Professor of Heart Valve Innovation at the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Webb has been recognized for his contributions to the development of therapies for structural heart disease, having pioneered several transcatheter valve procedures now widely used around the world. His clinical work and leadership at the Centre for Heart Valve Innovation in Vancouver have earned him numerous accolades, including the Ethica Gruntzig Award from the European Society of Percutaneous Intervention and the Career Achievement Award from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
The Vesalius Transfemoral Mitral Valve Repair (TMVr) System is designed to treat degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR), a common heart condition. The system integrates chordal replacement and annuloplasty—both key components of surgical mitral valve repair—into a single device, delivered via catheter to the heart. According to the company, the system’s dual-action approach offers a solution for a large number of patients, including those at high surgical risk.
“The Vesalius device is brilliant. Combining chordal replacement and annuloplasty in one device is a major advance for patients with DMR, allowing clinicians to offer a surgical quality valve repair, but with the safety profile of a percutaneous procedure. This solution could address a large percentage of DMR patients, both high-risk non-surgical candidates, and eventually, low-risk patients who currently receive open heart surgical repair. Based upon the company’s pre-clinical data that I have reviewed, the likelihood of clinical success is very high. And while the resulting repair is individualized and comprehensive, the standardized procedure means that after clinical maturation, this could be a 60-minute cath lab procedure,” said Webb.
Dr. Peter Skarsgard, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at Vesalius, shared his thoughts on Dr. Webb's addition to the team: “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Webb to our advisory team. Among many other accomplishments, he is essentially the inventor of a safe and reproducible TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement) procedure, a hugely impactful clinical advance that is now offered worldwide with the technique developed by Dr. Webb. He made the procedure adoptable and distributable. We welcome his clinical guidance as Vesalius prepares for clinical exposure in the coming months.”
Vincent Ledoux, Vesalius co-founder and CEO, commented: “This is the perfect time for Vesalius to expand our clinical advisory, as we complete our pre-clinical phase, in preparation for a planned FDA early feasibility study, and first in human procedures, early in 2025. Having walked the path of FIH procedures and regulatory approval with multiple solutions, the inputs from Dr. Webb will be invaluable.”
Vesalius Cardiovascular, founded in 2016, is based in Vancouver, Canada. The company focuses on simplifying and improving treatments for patients with mitral valve disease.
For more information, visit www.vesaliuscardio.com.
Source: Vesalius Cardiovascular Inc.
