When MBJ spoke to Esra Roan in January, she shared a long-term goal for her medical device startup, SOMAVAC Medical Solutions.
“Five years from now, I want SOMAVAC to be the standard of care in every operating room (OR) in the country,” the co-founder and CEO said at the time. “I want every physician to be asking for a SOMAVAC when they’re utilizing a drain for an elective case."
Over eight months later, the startup is continuing to take major steps toward that goal.
SOMAVAC has secured $2 million of a $3 million seed round, in addition to the $4.2 million it’s already raised. It’s expanded into the Charlotte area — which it refers to as “Region Two” — where it’s hired a regional director.
And, it’s been issued a U.S. patent for a second device, which could provide surgeons with a more comprehensive solution that treats both the interior and exterior of a surgical wound.
“The company is on a great trajectory right now, with a lot of positive momentum, traction, and commercialization,” Roan said. “And this patent position only strengthens our desire, mission, and commitment to grow a company with a great platform to help patients after surgeries, and solve real health care platforms and save money in the health care system.”
Multiple therapies
SOMAVAC’s flagship product is an FDA-approved, wearable surgical drain pump device called the SOMAVAC SVS, and is most used in surgeries like mastectomies, breast reconstructions, and hernia repairs. Already being commercialized, the product has been praised by surgeons, as it can both continuously drain fluids after a surgery, and use deep tissue negative pressure therapy to hold tissue layers together, potentially preventing seromas.
“You need suction to remove fluids, immediately, consistently, in a robust way,” Roan said. “But you also need that deep tissue negative pressure therapy … to hold those layers of tissue together.”
The SOMAVAC SVS and its deep tissue negative pressure therapy, however, don’t necessarily provide everything a patient needs. Some also need closed-incision negative pressure wound therapy, which provides a more topical, surface-level treatment that helps treat the outside of a surgical wound.
“If you think about surgeries, maybe contaminated situations, large defects, the closed-incision negative pressure wound therapy has been shown topically to help with infection rates, reduce surgical site complications, and so on,” Roan said. “It is known to be very helpful.”
The new device
If all of this sounds like medical jargon to you, think of it this way: whereas deep tissue negative pressure therapy provides treatment inside the surgical site, the closed-incision negative pressure therapy provides it on the outside of it. And because some patients need both treatments, SOMAVAC’s new product — the one it’s just received a patent for — will offer both. The device is similar to the SOMAVAC SVS, but also offers the closed-incision therapy.
This way, just one device can be purchased, instead of two with separate functions.
“In many cases, you need both, because the benefits of both are understood,” Roan said. “But there’s nothing out there that’s combining both, and there is a need for that … by doing both in one, we can deliver a better solution.”
What's next
SOMAVAC hasn’t determined a clear timeline for when it will look to gain FDA clearance or start the commercialization process for the new product. But Roan noted that there could be opportunities to form strategic partnerships with wound care companies, given its functions.
And she’s excited about its potential.
“We continue to pursue these types of innovative ideas, and it excites me for that,” she said. “But also, it reinforces our goal to reduce health care costs from the U.S. health care system. … When we have post-operative complications, and they lead to interventions, it adds billions of dollars. … So, I’m very excited to say we continue to work on products that are the right answer for patients."
