Instead of making an incision on the abdomen, there’s a new approach to stomach surgery that leaves a patient scarless – through the mouth.
EndoGastric Solutions, a late-stage and venture-funded Bay Area startup, is focused on developing “natural orifice” surgery devices meant to be used in upper gastrointestinal operations. It’s primarily used in treating chronic acid reflux, or GERD.
The medical device startup continues to raise capital: It’s in the midst of a $25 million round, according to a regulatory filing, and has raised about $10 million of that so far. To date, EndoGastric Solutions has now raised more than $160 million.
Previous investors include Advanced Technology Ventures, Chicago Growth Partners, Foundation Medical Partners, Canaan Partners and Radius.
EndoGastric Solutions’ EsophyX device can be fed down the esophagus into the stomach and, with the help of a flexible video endoscope, can allow surgeons to conduct intricate stomach surgeries.
It’s a change from the standard GERD, or chronic acid reflux surgery, called fundoplication – which involves laparoscopically sewing the upper portion of the stomach to the esophagus so as to strengthen the valve that sends acid back up toward the mouth.
This image, taken from the startup’s site, compares EndoGastric Solutions’ approach to the other forms of GERD surgery:
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
