Did You Know That Hypertension Is
The World’s Leading Killer?
Latest Press Release
PHOENIX–November 16, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Verve Medical, Inc. (“Verve”) today announced the detailed results from a feasibility trial evaluating a novel ablation therapy that achieved therapeutically significant blood pressure (“BP”) reduction for 100% of treated patients with uncontrolled hypertension. The Verve trial demonstrated the efficacy and safety of this minimally invasive, non-vascular renal pelvic denervation. In contrast to other renal denervation approaches in the renal artery, Verve’s method accesses the renal nerves through the natural orifice of the urethra, similar to common urology procedures…
Why should you worry about
Hypertension?
Hypertension (or High Blood Pressure) results in over 10.7 million deaths per year.
Not only does hypertension kill more people than any other known condition… It also kills more than any other infectious disease combined!
Making it the leading risk factor for preventable deaths worldwide.
There May Soon Be Alternative Treatment Options For This Condition That Affects Nearly Half Of Adults In The United States and Nearly 1.4 Billion Worldwide!
Understanding Hypertension
If You Have Hypertension, You’re Not Alone
Why It Matters?
High Blood Pressure
Make Control Your Goal
Treating Hypertension
Know Your Options
Controlling Hypertension, Through the
kidney
Novel Therapies: Renal Denervation
What is Renal Denervation
Renal denervation is a simple, minimally invasive procedure designed to treat hypertension.
How Does It Work?
The procedure targets overactive nerves in the kidneys that cause high blood pressure. By delivering energy to these nerves, it decreases their activity and helps to regulate blood pressure.
Is Renal Denervation Right For You?
Novel Therapies: Renal Denervation
Resistant Hypertension
Are you currently taking medication but unable to get your blood pressure under control?
Drug Intolerant or Non-Compliant
Are you having side effects from your blood pressure medication or not taking it as consistently as you should?
Patient Preference
Do you understand the risks of high blood pressue, know your options and want to avoid medication?
Different Types Of RDN
There are two types of emerging RDN therapies for the uncontrolled hypertension market.
Arterial RDN devices that ablate nerves through the Renal Artery may soon be approved in the United States.
- But there’s one BIG problem
Arterial, RDN Only Ablates A Small Number of Sensory Nerves Responsible For Hypertension.
Verve’s Patented Transureteral RDN
This Procedure, through a Patient's Natural Orifice, the Ureter into the Renal Pelvis of the kidney, Ablates a Large Number of Both Sensory and Motor Nerves to Lower Hypertension!
As a result, Verve’s Transureteral Procedure not only leads to decreased blood pressure… but also may provide:
Increase In Heart Health
Increase In Kidney Function
Pain Relief
And That’s Not All…
UNLIKE Arterial RDN
- Verve Transureteral RDN does NOT rely on renal artery anatomy and related incision for access to the renal artery.
- Ablates both Sensory and Motor nerves, and Sensory nerve denervation is more effective
- Total procedure time is less than 30 minutes
- Non-vascular, natural orifice approach (no incision) ensures nearly 100% access and less procedural risk
- Very high responder rate of nearly 100%
If you or someone you know is struggling with hypertension or high blood pressure, don’t wait. Learn more about your current and future treatment options today!
Management
David Springer, President and CEO
Dave Springer, President and Chief Executive Officer, brings 30 years of experience in the healthcare and medical devices industries. Most recently, Springer held the position of Chief Operating Officer of Enterprise at digital health company, Sharecare. Prior to this, Springer held the position of President & Chief Executive Officer at medical device companies, Cayenne Medical and CHF Solutions, through their successful acquisitions by Zimmer Biomet and Gambro, respectively. Prior to this, Springer held the position of Sr. Vice President for St. Jude Medical where he was successful in creating and leading all US strategic and operational plans. In 1997, he was a member of the founding management team of WebMD (formerly QDCS, Inc.) where he held the positions of Executive Vice President of Business Development and Senior Vice President of Sales. Prior to WebMD, Springer served in various leadership positions in sales, corporate accounts and marketing at Intermedics, Kimberly Clark Healthcare and Procter & Gamble. Springer received his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
Terry Buelna, Founder and CTO
Terry Buelna, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, is a 30 year successful medical device entrepreneur and developer, with a particular focus on urology-related products. Prior to founding Verve Medical, Mr. Buelna co-founded Abacus Design & Development (acquired by C.R. Bard), Laparomed (acquired by Advanced Surgical), and Applied Medical. Early in his career, he served as a development engineer for Baxter Healthcare and Amsco Hall Surgical. Mr. Buelna has authored or co-authored 40+ issued US patents and developed or co-developed 20+ surgical products. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of California, Santa Barbara.
Randy Buness, CFO
Randy Buness, Chief Financial Officer, is a CPA and senior financial executive with over 30 years of results-oriented leadership. Prior to joining Verve Medical, he served as Chief Financial Officer of multiple high-growth, public and private technology companies with annual sales up to $250 million. Such companies included medical technology companies VisionGate, a lung cancer diagnostic company, Cayenne Medical, a medical device company acquired by Zimmer Biomet, and United Medical Network, a telemedicine company that he co-founded and which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson. His financial background includes expertise in venture capital, public stock offerings and mergers and acquisitions. Early in his career, Buness spent ten years in public accounting at Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He graduated summa cum laude from Seattle University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and he holds an MBA in International Finance from Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.
Derek Harper, VP of Research & Development
Derek Harper, Vice President of Research and Development, brings over 30 years of medical device development and commercialization experience to Verve Medical. Prior to joining Verve Medical, Mr. Harper served as Vice President of Research and Development for Cayenne Medical from its founding through its successful acquisition by Zimmer Biomet. Previous to Cayenne Medical, Mr. Harper held management positions in both R&D and Marketing at Medtronic, PS Medical, MDC Research, and Micro-Solutions. Mr. Harper is a biomedical engineer with diverse experience in the medical industry and has authored or co-authored 30 issued US patents related to medical devices. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering with a specialty in Bioengineering from Arizona State University.
Shima Hashemian, VP of Regulatory Affairs & Quality Assurance
Shima Hashemian, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Quality Assurance, has over 13 years of expertise in implementation of regulatory corporate practices and quality compliance. Prior to joining Verve Medical, Ms. Hashemian served as Director of Regulatory Affairs & Quality Assurance for Zimmer Biomet and Cayenne Medical. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Eastern Mediterranean University and a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University.
Advisors
Steven L. Gex, Chairman and a founding member of the Verve Board of Directors, is an accomplished investor and leader of several highly successful medical device companies. He most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Focal Therapeutics through the acquisition by Hologic. Previously he served as Chief Executive Officer of BioLucent (acquired by Hologic) and a former Chairman of the Board of Cayenne Medical (acquired by Zimmer Biomet) and Opus Medical (acquired by ArthroCare). Before joining BioLucent, Mr. Gex co-founded and held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Biopsys Medical. He has also served as Vice President of Marketing at Laurus Medical Corp and Applied Medical Resources, both of which he co-founded. Additionally, Mr. Gex has held senior management positions in marketing, business development and manufacturing operations at Edwards Laboratories, a division of American Hospital Supply Corporation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from San Diego State University.
Robert Provenzano, MD, a well-known figure in the nephrology community. In addition to his 30+ years as a practicing nephrologist, he is also the Chief Medical Officer at Nephrology Practice Solutions and Vice President of Medical Affairs for DaVita Kidney Care. He is past-President of the Renal Physicians Association, immediate past-Chair of the Board of Trustees for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, and an active member of the American Society of Nephrology and the American Society of Transplantation, and a fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Michael Weber, MD, is a global hypertension expert and cardiologist professor and associate Dean at the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. He has published numerous research articles in the medical literature and has authored or edited 16 books. Dr. Weber co-authored the widely used reference volume, Hypertension. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Clinical Hypertension and was one of the founders and former President of The American Society of Hypertension. He also served as Chair of the ASH Hypertension Specialists Program. Dr. Weber has served on the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Board of the Food and Drug Administration, and continues as a consultant to that Agency.
Ralph Clayman, MD, Urologist who is world-renowned for his expertise in minimally invasive surgery for kidney stone disease, kidney cancer and strictures of the ureter, and is listed among the Best Doctors in America® for Urology. He is a graduate of Grinnell College and the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Following general surgery and Urology training at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Clayman spent two years at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas pursuing his interests in renal cancer research, kidney stone disease and minimally invasive Urology.
Dagmara Hering, MD, PhD, a leading clinical specialist in hypertension and is recognized by the European Society of Hypertension as a hypertension expert. She graduated in medicine from the Medical University of Gdansk, Poland, where she also obtained her PhD. Her research has been focused on the role of the sympathetic nervous system and its reflex mechanisms, arterial stiffness, haemodynamics and heart rate variability in physiological and pathological states including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, heart failure and diabetes.
Richard Heuser, MD, an internationally recognized cardiologist, inventor, educator and author, and is a diplomat of the American Board of Cardiovascular Diseases and the American Board of Interventional Cardiovascular Diseases. He is one of the early pioneers of coronary and peripheral angioplasty and is considered one of America’s top cardiologists. He is Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, as well as past Director of the Interventional Fellowship Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix Campus. Dr. Heuser treats people from all over the world with complex cardiovascular problems and is credited with performing and describing the treatment of angioplasty for shock in patients who present with a heart attack. With 24 patents granted for different catheters, stents and other medical devices, Dr. Heuser has served as a principal investigator to research the safety and/or effectiveness of more than 100 medical devices and 50 pharmaceutical products, and has participated in more than 100 research studies.
Ulla Kopp, PhD, a Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. She is a faculty member of the Nephrology division in the Department of Internal Medicine, as well as a faculty member of the Department of Pharmacology. She received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and her current research interest includes a project titled, “Afferent Renal Nerves: Role of Neurotransmitter.” Previously she has studied renorenal reflexes in normotension and hypertension. Dr. Kopp authored the often-cited textbook, “Neural Control of Renal Function.”
Glenn Preminger, MD, Urologist whose clinical interests include the minimally invasive management of urinary tract stones, including shock wave lithotripsy, percutaneous, and ureteroscopic stone removal. Dr. Preminger completed his training at the University of North Carolina in 1983 and was an American Urological Association Scholar (1983-1985) in the Division of Mineral Metabolism at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. In 1993, Dr. Preminger returned to North Carolina as professor of urological surgery and director of the Duke Comprehensive Kidney Stone Center.
