Calyxo, Inc., is a medical device company focused on improving care for patients with kidney stones by delivering paradigm-shifting solutions that enable urologists to safely, effectively, and efficiently achieve unrivaled clinical outcomes. The company developed the innovative CVAC Aspiration System, which utilizes irrigation and aspiration to remove kidney stones with the goal of a surgically stone-free outcome. Historically, that outcome has been difficult to achieve consistently.

In December, the company announced it had closed a $50 million Series D financing round led by Avidity Partners, with significant participation from existing investors Questa Capital and CRG. Calyxo, which has been headquartered at Hacienda since 2020, is in the process of commercializing its CVAC Aspiration System. The technology has already been used to successfully treat more than 1,300 patients in the United States.

“We are excited about this round of funding, which will further accelerate the company’s momentum,” according to Joe Catanese, Calyxo President and CEO. “Despite the challenging market conditions, we received strong support from investors who believe in our team, our mission, and the promise of our CVAC technology. Our kidney stone treatment innovations will improve care for patients and have the opportunity to transform the way this condition is treated. We will use this capital to build commercial traction while maintaining investment in product development and clinical studies.”

Approximately 10% of people in the U.S. will have a kidney stone at some point in their lives, according to the American Urological Association. Kidney stone disease is a painful condition that brings with it significant healthcare costs. Current Urology Reports estimates $4.1 billion in annual direct treatment costs by 2030. The most commonly used kidney stone treatments today do not reliably remove all of the stone fragments created. According to clinical studies published in Urology and the Journal of Urology, residual fragments left behind are associated with a 20% to 44% incidence of post-procedure problems, including pain, infection, emergency department visits, hospitalization, and need for retreatment.

“We are proud to invest in Calyxo and its groundbreaking technology,” according to Avidity Partners' Jacob Garfield, who will also join Calyxo’s Board of Directors. “Calyxo has an opportunity to alter the kidney stone treatment category and deliver a new generation of devices that can significantly improve care and comfort for millions of people afflicted by kidney stones. We look forward to working with the company’s leadership team as it seeks to accomplish its mission to provide a disruptive solution for a long-standing medical challenge.”

In November 2023, the results of a new study analyzing the safety and efficacy of the SURE procedure for large kidney stone removal utilizing the company’s CVAC Aspiration System were published in the Journal of Endourology. The multi-center retrospective study of 43 patients with large renal stones was conducted by Karen Stern, MD of Mayo Clinic Arizona and J. Stuart Wolf Jr., MD of Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin and was titled “Steerable Ureteroscopic Renal Evacuation (SURE) for Large Renal Stones: A Multi-Institutional Center Study.” The study authors concluded that the CVAC Aspiration System is safe and effective for treating large stone burdens, including in high-risk patients.

For more information about Calyxo, Inc., please visit www.calyxoinc.com.