Xeltis BV secured €47.5 million in financing to help bring Axess, its vascular access conduit for hemodialysis, to the market. The funds include a venture debt package of up to €37.5 million from the European Investment Bank and €10 million from existing shareholders.

Xeltis BV reported successful clinical data from the Axess EU pivotal trial which demonstrated the transformative potential of its restorative vascular access conduit, Axess, in hemodialysis treatment.

The U.S. FDA approved Phraxis Inc.’s Endoforce Connector for endovascular venous anastomosis, which eliminates the need for surgical dissection for individuals undergoing hemodialysis for kidney failure. The device is designed to reduce tissue trauma and improve long-term graft performance.

There is no doubt this year started with a boom for European med-tech companies. Public markets opened in the U.S. and cross-border investors are deploying capital. With many companies looking to conduct clinical trials, raising funds and bringing their devices to the market, 2025 is expected to be prosperous, mitigating the difficulties of the previous two to three years.

Xeltis BV completed enrollment in the EU pivotal trial for its restorative vascular access conduit, Axess. The prospective study will investigate the patency, safety and performance of Axess in adult patients with end-stage renal disease requiring vascular access to start or maintain hemodialysis therapy.

Xeltis BV hopes that promising data from clinical trials on the performance of its synthetic vascular access graft implant will transform not only the lives of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease but also the company’s fortunes. “We're outperforming other solutions out there, that's the nice promise not only for the patient and for the families but also for potential strategics that might be interested in the company and play a role in the vascular space,” Eliane Schutte, CEO of Xeltis told BioWorld.

Xeltis BV raised $15 million in series D2 funding to develop its restorative vascular access device for patients with chronic kidney disease who are on hemodialysis. The investment in this technology, called the Axess graft, came from Hong Kong-based China Grand Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Holdings Ltd. (Grand Pharma). The deal focuses mainly on commercializing Axess, but also involves other new products in the field of hemodialysis developed as part of the Xeltis technology platform. The commitment from Grand Pharma includes equity investment and product licensing, representing Xeltis’ first commercial deal and its first funding from an Asian concern.

Xeltis BV plans to expedite an international pivotal trial investigating its restorative hemodialysis access graft Axess following encouraging preliminary data. The company released results from a clinical trial investigating the graft at CX 2022, the Charing Cross International Symposium on Vascular and Endovascular Challenges, in London. Data showed the graft had 100% functional patency and safety in a patient cohort of 11, with a median follow-up of 6.5 months.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) pumped €15 million (US$17 million) into Xeltis BV to accelerate clinical programs for its polymer-based technology platform for cardiovascular restoration. The Eindhoven, Netherlands-based company is developing three types of cardiovascular implants. These are a pulmonary heart valve, coronary artery bypass graft and hemodialysis access grafts. The devices use a therapeutic approach called endogenous tissue restoration (ETR), which causes the patient’s own body to naturally restore a new blood valve. As the patient’s healing system develops a functional valve, Xeltis’ implant is gradually absorbed by the body.