The reach of the med-tech patent wars now includes devices for electroencephalography thanks to a complaint recently filed by Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Ceribell Inc. with the U.S. International Trade Commission. The company alleged infringement of six of its patents by two units under the Natus umbrella of companies, but this conflict is also under review in Delaware district court, promising a drawn-out conflict that may not resolve for years.
The long-term status of the trade dispute with China remains unclear, but a 90-day reduction in stratospheric tariffs imposed by the U.S. and China on their respective products provides breathing room for the med-tech companies predicting the hardest hit from the original levels.
Beta Bionics Inc. kicked off the new year with plans for an initial public offering of 7.5 million shares “as soon as practicable.” Expected to be priced at $14 to $16 per share, the IPO would gross $105 million to $120 million for the insulin delivery device maker.
Ceribell Inc. launched its initial public offering of more than 10.6 million shares of common stock at $17 and steadily saw the trading value rise, before closing just over $25 on Oct. 11 per share. Ceribell, which developed a portable electroencephalogram for use in intensive care and emergency department settings, expected to gross $180.3 million from the IPO excluding any exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. The IPO will close on Oct. 15.
At the same time it reported U.S. FDA clearance for bedside software to diagnose electrographic status epilepticus (ESE) seizures, Ceribell Inc. declared Claritypro the first ICU monitoring device to receive an NTAP reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The clearance of Claritypro to diagnose ESE follows receipt of an FDA breakthrough device designation in two different categories in the past year, setting the stage, Ceribell CEO Jane Chao told BioWorld, for expanded access to critical seizure diagnosis technology.
Ceribell Inc. amassed $53 million in a series C fundraising round to broaden the footprint for its noninvasive brain monitor in U.S. hospitals and expand indications for its Rapid Response EEG. Longitude Capital and The Rise Fund led the round.
The potential for neurological complications, including seizures and stroke, is a growing concern with COVID-19 patients. To ensure rapid diagnosis and treatment, Ceribell Inc., a Mountain View, Calif.-based startup, is deploying its cloud-linked, portable electroencephalogram (EEG) device to enable EEG assessments in minutes in emergency rooms and intensive care units.
