LoneStar Heart to Use Xeridiem Services

Tucson, Ariz.-based Xeridiem Medical Devices has agreed to provide LoneStar Heart Inc. with design and development services for the minimally invasive delivery system for Algisyl-LVR, an implantable biopolymer for the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough blood to the rest of the body. LoneStar is developing a trio of technologies intended to restore the heart wall structure and prevent or reverse the progression of advanced heart failure.

Algisyl-LVR is a medical device under clinical development intended to prevent or reverse the progression of congestive heart failure in patients who have an enlarged left ventricle as a result of mitral valve regurgitation, ischemia, dilated cardiomyopathy and/or other disorders.

The product consists of a proprietary biopolymer that is injected with a custom applicator during open heart surgery directly into strategic areas of the left ventricle muscle. As it is injected, the biopolymer thickens and forms gel-like bodies that remain in the heart muscle as permanent implants. These implants provide several beneficial functions: They thicken the muscle wall; Reduce chamber size; Decrease local muscle wall stress; And, based on the positioning of the implants, allow for a re-shaping of the dilated ventricle to impart it a healthier form. Based on the results of pre-clinical studies, these functions lead to a global improvement of the heart as measured by ejection fraction, systolic and diastolic pressures and other biomarkers of stress. The positive effect of the biopolymer implants is measurable within hours of the procedure and remains over the long term, the company claims.

“This development collaboration will allow LoneStar Heart to focus on their core expertise which is further developing their Algisyl-LVR technology while relying on Xeridiem for the engineering and design control infrastructure,” said Joseph Lee, president of Xeridiem. “Essentially Xeridiem will be acting as LoneStar Heart’s development team.”

Xeridiem designs, develops, and manufactures single use medical devices focused in gastroenterology, cardiology, and urology for healthcare companies and venture-backed entrepreneurs.

Based in Laguna Hills, Calif., LoneStar Heart Inc. is developing cardiac restorative therapies that harness the heart’s ability to repair itself. The company also has a facility at the BioCenter within the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.