Zelegent Acquires MISH Technology Platform

Zelegent Inc., a manufacturer of tools for otolaryngologist sleep specialists whose Elevo Set is being sold to U.S. physicians, has acquired the rights to a new pre-clinical product line, intended for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Zelegent’s existing product line, The Elevo Snoring Intervention Set, is used by physicians to treat primary snoring, defined as disruptive snoring in patients without OSA. The MISH technology product platform is intended to provide an alternative to existing technologies for treating OSA.
 
MISH is an acronym for Minimally Invasive Suspension of the Hyoid. Suspension of the hyoid bone is an existing procedure for the treatment of OSA that carries its own reimbursement code. Compared with existing hyoid suspension products, MISH is less invasive, as it involves no external neck incision; just a needle puncture site. Zelegent acquired exclusive worldwide rights to MISH from Valam Corporation. Specific terms of the transaction are not being disclosed, other than that the agreement includes both equity and a royalty.
 
“Unlike existing hyoid suspension devices, the MISH procedure does not involve a permanent implant,” said Alexander K. Arrow, M.D., CEO of Zelegent Inc. “The components to suspend the hyoid bone in the MISH procedure are completely resorbable after implantation, making the MISH procedure consistent with the theme of Zelegent’s first product line, the Elevo Set.”
 
The already-commercialized Elevo Set and the early-stage development MISH platform are synergistic product lines for Zelegent for several reasons: (1) they are intended for the same physician call point (sleep disorder specialists), (2) each involve resorbable barbed implants deployed with a unique proprietary needle delivery tool, (3) they can be manufactured with virtually the same supply chain, reducing costs, and (4) the two systems are intended to provide physicians with a range of minimally-invasive options for patients that present with either primary snoring, or snoring with OSA.
 
“Permanent implants are never desirable, if they can be avoided,” said Ron Hadani, CEO of Valam Corporation, which invented and initiated development of the MISH procedure and implant delivery tool. “We are pleased that MISH will be developed and commercialized by Zelegent, given Zelegent’s recent success with the Elevo Set. As a new shareholders of Zelegent, Valam shall support Zelegent during development of the product line.”
 
Zelegent offers its current product, the Elevo Set, through an exclusive sales, marketing, and distribution partnership with Cook Medical.
 
Zelegent Inc., is a medical technology company founded and majority-owned by sleep disorder specialist physicians to create tools to treat sleep disorders. The company developed and grew in EvoNexus, the premier corporate incubator in Southern California. The company’s mission is to develop and provide minimally invasive devices to effectively alleviate snoring and snoring-related sleep disorders. Elevoplasty is a patented, office-based procedure.

Zelegent, Elevo, Elevoplasty,Silence is Healthy, and the Mini-Facelift for the Soft Palate are trademarks of Zelegent Inc. Zelegent is part of the EvoNexus family of companies.