In early 2020, Memphis-based SOMAVAC Medical Solutions Inc. was off to a fast start.
The startup, which has an FDA-approved, modern surgical drain pump device, hired a VP of sales, John Flynn, in January.
Esra Roan, cofounder and CEO of SOMAVAC, anticipated closing a capital funding round in the spring.
“Right as the COVID situation began in March, we had a lot of positive momentum behind us,” Roan said.
Of course, there is no secret what happened next. Plans changed with the pandemic but didn’t derail SOMAVAC’s momentum.
Device utilization
The SOMAVAC SVS device received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in July 2018.
The company has spent time since then developing a product launch strategy and establishing key lines to customers and physicians.
With an ongoing global pandemic, some of the marketing that was planned for this year had to be reevaluated, such as attending trade shows and some face-to-face meetings with potential device users.
“It has been challenging to get in front of our customers, our patients, and our physicians … to build trust and confidence and make a case [for the SOMAVAC device],” Roan said.
Yet, a local orthopedic oncologist began using the device this year in his surgical practice at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and at OrthoSouth.
Dr. Michael Neel is chief of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery at St. Jude, and a physician at OrthoSouth — with 25 years at both.
About five adult patients are using the SOMAVAC device in his adult practice at OrthoSouth, and about 10 St. Jude patients. In addition to Neel, two other St. Jude doctors are using the device in their practice.
“The thing that impressed me the most was it's easy to use. It's efficient in the way it collects fluid and it's safe,” Neel said. “That's the clinical side but the most striking thing is the patients absolutely love it.”
Neal heard about the SOMAVAC device a couple years ago. A long-time colleague and friend, Dr. Martin Fleming, vouched for it.
Fleming is leading a clinical study of the device at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). He is chief of Surgical Oncology at UTHSC. The post-market surveillance study is focused on breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomies.
“We've been able to launch our clinical study in the midst of the pandemic. Many companies are [struggling] to do that,” Roan said.
SOMAVAC was also able to complete its seed funding round at the end of June, too.
In addition to Neel and Fleming, Roan said a couple other physicians are evaluating, testing, and utilizing SOMAVAC’s device.
Pandemic planning
The startup’s future plans are fluid given the uncertainties of the COVID era. Completing the UTHSC study is a priority to help document the clinical merits of the product.
SOMAVAC looks to add some accessories and supportive products to its device platform in the first quarter of 2021 and also test its distribution channels.
And, marketing to a key segment is a priority, as well. Credentialed mastectomy fitters are a potential B2B partner for the SOMAVAC product.
“We spend time with our mastectomy fitters, talking and evaluating how to present SOMAVAC in their stores [and] whether it fits their stores or not,” Roan said. “During those conversations is where we build trust [in the device].”
She said that cities the size of Memphis have one or two stores with mastectomy fitters, and SOMAVAC will spend the next six months establishing ties to those potential partners.
In addition to those type businesses, Roan said SOMAVAC has provided business for others, including graphic designers, engineers, and software engineers. She said they use 23 local vendors and about 60% have five or fewer staff.
While the pandemic has paused some plans and reconfigured others, SOMAVAC’s staff of six put any downtime to good use.
“For a startup, it's a tremendous race. COVID gave us two or three months to stop and look around at what we're doing, really pick the essentials, and not focus on the things that we don't need,” Roan said.
