Anuncia Inc., a therapeutic medical device company and an emerging leader in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) management innovation, announced today it is moving its headquarters to Scottsdale, Ariz. and will operate at SkySong, the Arizona State University Scottsdale Innovation Center. The move is the first geographic expansion for the high growth medtech startup previously based in Massachusetts. With the new headquarters also comes a new management team of industry experts who coalesced to engineer elegant, intuitive solutions that address large unmet clinical needs in the global hydrocephalus and other CSF disorders market.
Anuncia is the developer of the US FDA cleared and EU CE Marked commercial ReFlow™ Ventricular System designed to noninvasively unblock occluded ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. As many as half of all intracranial VP shunts fail in the first two years, mainly due to blockages that impair CSF flow. Failures often require emergency revision brain surgery, each costing upwards of $40,000. Early clinical evidence with up to 3-year follow-up indicates Anuncia’s planned next generation ReFlow System Mini may uniquely prevent VP shunt malfunctions due to occlusions, at home or in the clinic, to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life, while reducing healthcare costs. This initial clinical proof of prophylactic therapy success with ReFlow helped the ReFlow Mini earn US FDA Breakthrough Device Designation earlier this year and an honorable mention in the health category of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas of 2021.
“As we grow and scale manufacturing, our need to expand operations into the Southwest has been met with impressive support from the thriving Greater Phoenix biomedical community, which is anchored by numerous medical centers of excellence including the Barrow Neurological Institute, the Mayo Clinic, and Phoenix Children’s Hospital and various major universities. The warm welcome and support has been unparalleled and makes us feel Arizona is truly invested in our future. As we open our next fundraising round, we also look forward to working with new VC partners who believe in our mission and the future of Anuncia,” commented Elsa Chi Abruzzo, Anuncia’s CEO.
Named to Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry’s (MDDI) ‘Ultimate List of Private Medtech Companies to Watch,’ Anuncia looks to scale utilizing Greater Phoenix’s robust talent base to make hires in engineering, clinical, manufacturing, and finance. Anuncia’s strategic move to SkySong facilitates easy access and collaboration with local higher education institutions in their efforts to keep developing medical technologies that expand access to and deliver safe and effective therapy to the millions of patients globally suffering with life threatening conditions associated with CSF disorders.
“We look forward to welcoming Anuncia into the growing, thriving medtech ecosystem in Scottsdale, and supporting them as they continue to create life-changing medical solutions,” said Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega. “Healthcare is one of the top industries in Scottsdale and SkySong is a hub for innovation, and I am confident that a rising industry leader such as Anuncia will find their new location to be a destination for ongoing and future success.”
“Anuncia’s move to SkySong is demonstrative of the ways in which ASU’s efforts to create and support groundbreaking technological collaborations is creating a dynamic medtech network with the potential for long-term societal, educational and economic impact,” said Grace O’Sullivan, Vice President, ASU Corporate Engagement and Strategic Partnerships.
“With a growing and robust healthcare, medtech and wearable ecosystem, Greater Phoenix has become a hub for advanced innovation that supports entrepreneurs in the development of lifesaving technology,” said Chris Camacho, President & CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “We’re excited for Anuncia’s entry into the market and look forward to being a partner in their continued growth and success.”
The Coppola-Cheney Group and Lee & Associates Arizona assisted with the real estate transaction. Plaza Companies is the master developer of SkySong, in partnership with University Realty, the City of Scottsdale and Holualoa Companies.
Anuncia Inc., now based in Scottsdale, AZ., is a privately held therapeutic medical device company and an emerging leader in treating conditions associated with cerebral spinal fluid disorders through innovative devices. The current ReFlow System is FDA cleared and CE Marked for use in the treatment of CSF disorders requiring shunting such as hydrocephalus by a qualified clinician to facilitate a safe, noninvasive retrograde fluid flush when ventriculoperitoneal shunt flow is restricted or blocked. The ReFlow System Mini and ReFlow Smart Shunt features are under development and not available for sale. The ReFlow System is a prescription device sold by or on the order of a physician.
