KOVE Medical Raises €1.7 Mn to Develop Device to Reduce Preterm Birth Risk After Foetal Surgery

The new funding will help KOVE Medical continue developing and testing the device as it moves closer to First-in-Human (FIH) studies, where the technology will be tested in people for the first time.

KOVE Medical was founded in 2020 by Yannick Devaud and Kurt Ruffieux. The Zurich-based startup grew out of research carried out with the University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich.

The company is working to solve a major problem linked to fetoscopy, a minimally invasive surgery used to treat serious health conditions in babies before they are born.

Fetoscopy can be used to treat conditions such as spina bifida, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, and congenital diaphragmatic hernia. These procedures can help doctors treat certain problems before birth.

During fetoscopy, doctors need to pass surgical instruments through the uterus and amniotic sac. This creates a small opening that can weaken the foetal membrane and cause amniotic fluid to leak.

In some cases, the weakened membrane can rupture early, increasing the risk of preterm birth. This remains one of the major challenges in foetal surgery and can limit the use of fetoscopy for more complex procedures.

KOVE Medical is developing an implantable device designed to close the opening after surgery. The device is placed inside the amniotic cavity and aims to support and stabilise the membrane around the area where the surgical instruments entered.

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