One-on-one with Ventus Medical CEO Peter Wyles

Rest easy, the FDA approval process for medical devices isn’t always a nightmare. Ventus Medical Inc. has won three FDA approvals in just a few years for its therapy for obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. Now with solid results from a 250-patient trial in hand, President and CEO Peter Wyles is aiming not to convince the FDA to approve the therapy but doctors to prescribe it. Wyles spoke with San Francisco Business Times biotech reporter Ron Leuty about his company's strategy with the therapy, branded as Provent, the sleep apnea market, durable medical equipment distributors and doctors.

Spine repair device maker Benvenue Medical raises $35.5M

Benvenue Medical Inc. said Monday it closed a third round of funding with $35.5 million.
The Santa Clara company, which develops minimally invasive solutions for spine repair, said it is entering a $9 billion global spinal device market with three breakthrough minimally invasive products to treat vertebral compression fractures and degenerative disc disease.
The round was co-led by new investors, San Diego-based Domain Associates and Palo Alto-based Technology Partners.
Also participating were Versant Ventures and DeNovo Ventures, which both have offices in Menlo Park.

Ventus rests easy with solid sleep apnea trial results

A device designed to treat obstructive sleep apnea helped patients breathe with fewer interruptions in a 250-patient clinical trial, according to developer Ventus Medical Inc.
The Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy from Belmont-based Ventus, which has been backed by De Novo Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures and Johnson & Johnson Development Corp., already has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and last month received its CE Mark certification from European regulators. The study, however, could provide further evidence to convince insurers to cover the device.

Medical device maker Spiracur raises $35 million