Aurenar has raised $5.7 million in an oversubscribed seed round to advance V-Link, a noninvasive neuromodulation device intended to reduce serious complications among intensive care patients. The round was co-led by the Go Red for Women Venture Fund, part of American Heart Association Ventures, and Solas BioVentures. BJC Health and Kaleida Capital also participated.
Aurenar will use the proceeds to complete device development, verification and validation testing, prepare regulatory submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and move toward pivotal clinical trials.
V-Link recently received breakthrough device designation from the FDA. The wireless, single-use platform delivers transauricular vagus nerve stimulation through the ear to influence the body’s inflammatory response.
The company’s initial development focus includes subarachnoid hemorrhage, a type of stroke involving bleeding in the space surrounding the brain. Aurenar said the condition represents approximately 7% of strokes worldwide and leaves about 40% of survivors with permanent disabilities.
Inflammation following the initial hemorrhage or stroke can contribute to secondary brain injury and worsen patient outcomes. V-Link is intended to regulate that response without requiring an implanted device or invasive procedure.
The technology originated from research by Dr. Eric Leuthardt, Dr. Anna Huguenard and colleagues at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. In a randomized study involving subarachnoid hemorrhage, transauricular vagus nerve stimulation reduced moderate-to-severe vasospasm by more than 40%, lowered pro-inflammatory cytokines and improved functional outcomes, according to Aurenar.
A related analysis showed a 20% reduction in modifiable hospitalization costs during the first 30 days. A separate study in large-vessel-occlusion ischemic stroke demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects and an acceptable safety profile. These findings will require further confirmation through larger clinical studies.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are excited to support Aurenar because stroke is a major cause of mortality and long-term disability in women, who face a disproportionately higher prevalence of subarachnoid hemorrhage.”
“Their V-Link product promises to offer a pathway to improve recovery for all patients and especially for women who often experience higher rates of post-stroke complications. The potential for use with other conditions that trigger the body’s inflammatory response, which also disproportionately affect women, makes V-Link the kind of scalable innovation our fund was created to accelerate.”
Tracy Warren, Senior Managing Director of the Go Red for Women Venture Fund
“This seed close marks a pivotal moment for Aurenar. With the support of the Go Red for Women Venture Fund, Solas BioVentures, and our broader investor group, we are positioned to advance from early-stage neurotechnology to a pivotal-trial-ready company.”
“Every dollar of this round is committed to milestones that help us improve outcomes for patients in the most critical moments of their care.”
Dr. Eric Leuthardt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aurenar and Professor of Neurosurgery at Washington University School of Medicine
“At WashU, we are reinforcing pathways that convert bold scientific ideas into real-world solutions. This neuromodulation platform is yet another example of the strength of WashU’s innovation ecosystem, and Dr. Leuthardt’s progress with Aurenar is bringing us closer to delivering meaningful advances to some of our most critically ill patients.”
Dr. Doug Frantz, Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Commercialization at Washington University
