Micro Booster Pump for the Heart Selected as Semi Finalist in International Life Sciences Competition

Houston, TX, July 01, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Thinner than a #2 pencil and with a sleek appearance more like a torpedo than a life-saving heart pump, Aortix™ has been selected, from a pool of more than 280 applicants, as one of 17 life science projects named a semi finalist in the Universal Biotech Innovation Prize 2015. Two winners, who will share prize earnings of €60,000 plus consulting services, will be announced October 5, 2015 in Paris, France.

Developed by Procyrion, Inc., Aortix is the first catheter-based circulatory heart pump designed specifically for NYHA Class III-IVa heart failure patients who are too sick for medication alone, but not sick enough for risky surgical interventions (i.e. LVAD or transplant). The small but powerful micro pump was selected by a prestigious jury panel for its scientific quality, potential for commercialization success, IP strategy and project feasibility.

“Being selected as a semi finalist catapults Procyrion and Aortix onto the world stage among other entrepreneurial companies and groundbreaking innovations,” said Benjamin A. Hertzog, Ph.D., CEO of Procyrion. “As we prepare to enter first-in-man trials, we’re excited about the potential impact of Aortix to improve patient quality of life and reduce the cost of care.”

Launched in 2009 and based in France, the Innovation Prize is organized by Universal Biotech, a division of Universal Medica Group. To learn more about Procyrion and the 17 semi finalists, www.universal-biotech-prize.com.