2017 Fast Lane Honoree Avery Therapeutics

SUMMARY

More than 26 million people worldwide suffer from heart failure and the number of cases is increasing at more than 13% per year. In the US, heart failure is the number one cause of hospital readmissions in patients over 65 and results in over $39 billion in treatment costs annually. The progression of heart failure results in a 50% mortality rate within 5 years of diagnosis. But what if it didn’t have to be like this? That is a question being addressed by the team at Avery Therapeutics, Inc. The startup company is based on the application of technology invented at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson and the Southern Arizona VA. In 2017, Avery Therapeutics licensed the beating heart graft technology from the University of Arizona. Pre-clinical studies have already shown that the technology, called MyCardia™, improves heart function.