REVA: In Bioresorbable Stents, As Things Change, Will The Value Remain The Same?

REVA Medical started almost 14 years ago as a bare metal stent company, only to run into the drug-eluting stent (DES) revolution. In response to the DES boom, the company reinvented itself as a bioresorbable stent company and then added a drug-eluting capability. However, until the late-stent thrombosis risk of DES emerged in 2006, bioresorbable stents were largely irrelevant. REVA has survived the ups and downs of the device financing environment by adopting creative solutions, including an evolving relationship with a strategic partner and ultimately an Australian IPO. The company is just now reentering the clinic with its pivotal trial, which is both a testament to its perseverance and a sign of the many challenges still ahead, not the least of which being whether REVA’s innovation will ultimately be rewarded.

The path of most medical device start-ups, like that of innovation itself, is not straight and narrow, but rather full of unexpected twists and turns to which a company need adapt in order to survive. No device company embodies that course more than San Diego-based REVA Medical Inc. Launched originally in 1998 as an effort to develop a thin-strutted metal stent and capitalize on the initial bare metal stent boom through an acquisition by a strategic player, after nearly 14 years, REVA has transformed itself into a bioresorbable stent company that is only now looking to reenter the clinic with its pivotal trial.

In the course of this journey, REVA has been both chameleon and dinosaur – adapting to ever-changing clinical and market...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on In Vivo for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Innovation

How Rapport Transferred A Decade Of Big Pharma Neuroscience Expertise To Biotech

 
• By 

Rapport Therapeutics CEO discusses the company's novel approach to AMPA modulation and why strategic externalization from J&J is accelerating neuroscience innovation.

Podcast: Merck’s Vision For Making Digital Health Redundant

 
• By 

Merck KGaA's Emre Ozcan outlines the company's systematic approach to integrating digital solutions across the care continuum in specialty pharmaceuticals, moving from technology-first to patient-need-first strategies.

Does ReproNovo’s $65m Raise Signal An Oasis In The Fertility Investment Desert?

 
• By 

ReproNovo's $65m Series A targets the $1.5bn male infertility market with the first potential oral therapy. Its first-in-class approach to underserved conditions like adenomyosis positions it as an attractive acquisition target in fertility's concentrated market.

Moderna Veteran Launches Icelandic mRNA Firm Despite US Retreat

 
• By 

Axelyf raises $2.6m seed round for lipid nanoparticle delivery platform on heels of end to US federal support for mRNA vaccines.

More from In Vivo

Podcast: Tevard CEO Sees Hope For His Daughter In Company’s tRNA Platform

 
• By 

Tevard Biosciences CEO Daniel Fischer discusses how engineered suppressor tRNAs overcome nonsense mutations, restoring full-length protein production to treat rare genetic diseases like Dravet syndrome.

Deals In Depth: July 2025

 
• By 

Six $1bn+ alliances were penned in July, and two exceeded $2bn.

Execs On The Move: July 2025

 
• By 

An interactive look at recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the biopharma, medical device and diagnostics industries.