An innovative process to extend commercial bioprosthetic heart valves lifespan.

2026-07-22

"Heart valve disease is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In 2017 around 400.000 patients underwent heart valve replacement. Mechanical (MHVs) and Bioprosthetic (BHVs) Heart Valves are the most used substitutes. However, the former have problems related to their thrombogenicity, the latter durability issues that limit their use. Recently an alarming correlation between the presence of the alpha-Gal epitope and a premature BHVs degeneracy was reported. BioCompatibility Innovation (BCI), an Italian biotechnology Startup, aims to bring on the market FACTA: an innovative treatment for inactivating the alpha-Gal xenoantigens in biological tissues that can be used to manufacture BHVs substitutes. FACTA has been patented and its reliability and efficacy have been validated by extensive in-vitro investigations that confirm a significant decrease in calcification propensity (over 85%) and a better resistance of the treated tissue, compared to the current chemical treatments of BHVs manufacturers. Currently a pilot study is ongoing, involving the implant of commercial BHVs treated with the FACTA protocol in swine with a one-month short permanence time (assessment of the acute toxicity and immunological tolerability of the FACTA treatment). BCI will evaluate a more in-depth validation of maintaining the physiological/structural efficiency of FACTA treated BHVs in an animal model implant for the expected 6-month duration. The global BHVs market is constantly growing: 11.71% CAGR between 2013 and 2022. FACTA can be perfectly integrated into the production flow of BHV manufacturers, without requiring any change in the supply chain. BCI raised about 850.000 € by founders and grants. FACTA received the ""Seal of Excellence"" by European Commission in June 2018. The total financial requirement amounts to about 2.7 M€, mainly for clinical validation and product industrialisation over 2 years, with a NPV of over 8.5M€ and an IRR of 58%. "

Italy

2026-02-01