Solace Therapeutics Inc.

Article preview from Start-Up - December, 2012

Solace Therapeutics Inc.’s Solace Bladder Control System is a small, lightweight, polyurethane balloon device that fills with air once it is placed within the bladder, where it floats unobtrusively at the top of the organ, not blocking the urethra. The device is designed to eliminate or reduce involuntary urinary leakage by acting as a “shock absorber” to reduce the temporary peak pressure changes in the bladder that cause urinary leakage.

 Solace Therapeutics Inc.

Article preview from Start-Up - December, 2012

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI), the most prevalent form of incontinence among women, affects an estimated 15 million adult women in the US. Between the ages of 18 and 44, approximately 24% of women experience the condition, and for women over age 60, approximately 23% deal with incontinence. Leakage occurs when coughing, sneezing, exercising, laughing, lifting heavy objects, or other movements that put pressure on the intra-abdominal muscles and bladder. One device start-up, Massachusetts-based Solace Therapeutics Inc., is focused on reducing this pressure and providing millions of women with a compelling alternative to absorbent pads, drugs, or surgery – with a little air-filled balloon.

Solace was co-founded by entrepreneur and venture investor Kevin Connors, general partner at Spray Venture Partners, which he also founded, in 1996. Connors has co-founded seven medical technology companies and has had interim CEO roles in nine, all focused on developing proprietary technologies to address large unmet medical needs. Prior to founding Spray, Kevin was the founding CEO of Vesica Medical Inc., a company focused on the surgical treatment of female urinary incontinence that was acquired by Boston Scientific Corp. in 1995. Following his stint at Vesica, Connors continued working with BSC as Vesica was integrated, and as Spray was formed initially as a venture arm of BSC. Connors left BSC to co-found Spray, and at the same time continued to pursue medical options for female SUI – a major unmet clinical need with a huge and growing market. Connors' goal was to develop a reversible, office-based SUI solution that provides immediate symptom relief, and doesn't require anesthesia or any lifestyle changes by the patient. David Matsurra, an engineer with whom Connors had began working, had the idea that the urinary system basically functions like a hydraulic system, and any solution should take advantage of the fact that air is a great attenuator of pressure spikes. So, they began working on methods for introducing air into the bladder and keeping it there, to help absorb the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) that comes from coughs, sneezes, and exercise and leads to urinary leakage in women with SUI. The concept for the Solace Bladder Control System was born, and development and refinement of the company's intra-bladder balloon technology has taken place over the past 12 years.

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