Below, we are re-publishing with permission the press-release issued by Maxwell Biomedical on September 15, 2022

Grant money will be used to support the research and development of Spatial Resynchronization™ Therapy (SR™T) to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib)

SAN DIEGO, Calif., September 15 2022 Maxwell Biomedical announced today that is has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NIH) to pursue development and testing of their proprietary SRT device designed specifically to diagnose and treat AFib. Phase I SBIR grants are awarded to small businesses to establish the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of the proposed product.

SRT is a significant advancement of science that was published in 1997, in which single-site stimulation was able to locally capture tissue at specific locations in human right atria during spontaneous AFib.¹ Once AFib is detected, instead of delivering pacing to a single site, SRT delivers pacing stimuli across spatially distributed electrodes placed on the epicardial surface of the left atrium. Pacing stimuli, which are imperceptible to the patient, are delivered within the excitable gap to capture and control atrial tissue for restoration of normal rhythm.

“Atrial fibrillation is debilitating and contributes to worsening health in patients with co-morbidities,” stated Randy Werneth, CEO of Maxwell Biomedical, “We are pleased that the NIH and it’s review committee have recognized the unique aspects and potential of our technology to provide a nondestructive treatment for patients with all types of AFib.”

Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart arrhythmia affecting over 33 million patients worldwide.² It occurs when the upper chambers beat uncontrollably and are out of synchronization with the lower chambers of the heart. The lack of coordinated contractions during prolonged episodes of AFib increases the likelihood of blood clot formation and reduces the amount of blood available to pump to the body. AFib increases stroke risk five times³, increases mortality rates two-fold in heart failure patients⁴ and costs the United States healthcare system $26B annually². Current AFib treatment options include outpatient cardioversion, rate or rhythm control medications and catheter ablation. SRT would offer patients a non-destructive, minimally invasive option to treat their AFib.

About Maxwell Biomedical

We are a development stage, science driven, innovative medical technology company with outstanding people dedicated to advancing long-term solutions for patients with Atrial Fibrillation. Maxwell is developing a first-of-its-kind atrial pacing device that automatically detects AFib and imperceptibly delivers SRT to restore and maintain a normal heart rhythm. Device monitoring and cloud connectivity ensures active and continuous patient care and management. Founded in 2019, Maxwell Biomedical is based in San Diego, CA.

1. Pandozi C, Bainconi L, Villani M et al. Local capture by atrial pacing in spontaneous chronic atrial fibrillation. Circ 1997. 95(10);2416-22.
2. Chugh SS et al. Worldwide epidemiology of atrial fibrillation. A global burden of disease study 2010. Circulation;129:2014.
3. Virani SS et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics – 2021 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation;143:2021.
4. Chamberlain AM et al. Atrial Fibrillation and Mortality in Heart Failure. Circ: Heart Failure;4(6):2011.