Levee Medical
Each year, approximately 275,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer. One in eight men will be diagnosed at some point in his life. For Levee Medical Founder and CTO Bruce Choi, the statistics are personal. His father was diagnosed with prostate cancer a couple of years ago, and Choi observed the treatment process closely.
Men who opt to have a prostatectomy experience incontinence immediately after their prostate is removed. Most men will regain normal urinary control within six months, but many will continue to struggle with incontinence beyond 12 months. Chronic incontinence means a life filled with catheters and diapers, eventually leading to skin infections, social withdrawal, or depression.
Choi, who has worked in the field of medical technology for years, realized he could apply his experience to do something about it. He invented a device that is designed to facilitate the recovery of continence after prostatectomy by reducing stress on the urinary sphincter. It’s a bioresorbable scaffold that can be implanted at the same time as prostatectomy to manage the bladder neck geometry in a way that facilitates normal urinary function. Over a period of 90 days, the device degrades as fibrotic tissues forms naturally over the surgical site. The device is designed to help men regain continence sooner after surgery and reduce the overall risk of chronic incontinence.
Currently, the device is under development with patents pending. Choi and his team are working closely with the FDA and regulatory experts in order to advance it.
In the meantime, the Levee team is fundraising. Fourscore recently assisted in closing their $2.6mm convertible note round.
“The Fourscore team has been outstanding. We’ve been impressed with their responsiveness and expertise,” says Irving. “They’re also a lot of fun to work with.” Investor interest was overwhelming in the convertible note round, which was oversubscribed. Levee will continue developing the technology and the business model in 2022, bringing the device closer to making life easier for men postsurgically.
To learn more, visit https://leveemedical.com/
