The unmet clinical need is a non-thrombogenic, durable heart valve prosthesis. A large number of patients suffer from limited valve durability and the limitations of anticoagulation therapy, or from the risk of thromboembolic stroke. This is even more severe in developing or underdeveloped countries. The global market for heart valve prostheses was valued at USD 11 billion in 2021 and was estimated to reach USD 25 billion by 2030.
The team of ValTech Lifesciences are brining together state-of-the-art fluid mechanical and cardiovascular engineering research, bringing a next-generation valve design to solve the unmet clinical need. The co-founders are Dr. Shaokai Zheng and Prof. Dr. Dominik Obrist from the University of Bern.