Orchestra BioMed Holdings, Inc._December 31, 2025
Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
OR
☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from __________________ to __________________
Commission file number: 001-39421
ORCHESTRA BIOMED HOLDINGS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
150 Union Square Drive
New Hope, Pennsylvania18938
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (215) 862-5797
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act
Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share OBIO The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐No☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐No☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive‐based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D‐1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐No ☒
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates as of June 30, 2025 the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was approximately $63.4 million as computed by reference to the closing price of the common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on that date.
As of March 10, 2026, the registrant had 58,520,901 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Part III of this report incorporates information by reference from the Company's definitive proxy statement, which proxy statement is due to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after December 31, 2025.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Page
PART I 1
Item 1 Business 1
Item 1A Risk Factors 77
Item 1B Unresolved Staff Comments 130
Item 1C Cybersecurity 131
Item 2 Properties 132
Item 3 Legal Proceedings 132
Item 4 Mine Safety Disclosures 132
Item 6 [Reserved] 133
Item 7A Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 148
Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 149
Item 9A Controls and Procedures 189
Item 9B Other Information 190
Item 9C Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions That Prevent Inspections 190
Item 10 Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 191
Item 11 Executive Compensation 191
Item 14 Principal Accountant Fees and Services 191
Item 15 Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 192
i
Table of Contents
Unless the context indicates otherwise, references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to the “Company,” “Orchestra,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar terms refer to Orchestra BioMed Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation formerly known as Health Sciences Acquisitions Corporation 2, and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Certain information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K relates to or is based on studies, publications, surveys and other data obtained from third-party sources and our own internal estimates and research. While we believe these third-party sources to be reliable as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have not independently verified the market and industry data contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or the underlying assumptions relied on therein. Finally, while we believe our own internal research is reliable, such research has not been verified by any independent source. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we are liable for the information provided in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those referred to in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the estimates made by the independent parties and by us.
ii
Table of Contents
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this report, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy, product candidates, planned preclinical studies and clinical trials, results of clinical trials, research and development costs, regulatory approvals, timing, and likelihood of success, as well as plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that are in some cases beyond our control and may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements contained in this report include, but are not limited to, statements about:
● our ability to achieve and sustain profitability;
● our ability to achieve our projected development and commercialization goals;
● market acceptance of our product candidates, if approved;
● our ability to manage growth or control costs related to growth;
iii
Table of Contents
● the success of our licensing agreements; and
● our public securities’ liquidity and trading.
We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about our business, the industry in which we operate and financial trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, and these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or development. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions described under the headings “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein whether as a result of any new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this report, and, while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
iv
Table of Contents
SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS
The following is a summary of some of the risks and uncertainties that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. This summary should be read together with the more detailed description of each risk factor disclosed under “Item 1A Risk Factors” contained in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
v
Table of Contents
vi
Table of Contents
PART I
Item 1. Business
Our Vision
Our vision is to accelerate medical innovation to patients through risk-reward-sharing partnerships with leading medical device companies.
Our Company
We are a biomedical innovation company accelerating high-impact technologies to patients through strategic collaborations with market-leading global medical device companies. We are led by a highly accomplished, multidisciplinary management team and a board of directors with extensive experience in all phases of therapeutic device development. Our business was formed in 2018 by assembling a pipeline of multiple late-stage clinical product candidates originally developed by our founding team.
Our flagship product candidates are Atrioventricular Interval Modulation Therapy (“AVIM Therapy”) for the treatment of hypertension (“HTN”), the leading risk factor for death worldwide, and Virtue® Sirolimus AngioInfusionTM Balloon (“Virtue SAB”) for the treatment of atherosclerotic artery disease, the leading cause of mortality worldwide. We have an exclusive license and collaboration agreement with Medtronic, Inc. (an affiliate of Medtronic plc) (“Medtronic”) for the development and commercialization of AVIM Therapy for the treatment of uncontrolled HTN in patients indicated for a cardiac pacemaker (as amended, the “Medtronic Agreement”). We are actively conducting a double-blind, randomized, global pivotal study (the “BACKBEAT study”), enrolling up to 500 patients with uncontrolled hypertension who are indicated for a Medtronic dual-chamber pacemaker, with enrollment completion currently planned for mid-2026. We recently initiated patient enrollments in the Virtue SAB in the Treatment of Coronary In-Stent Restenosis (“ISR”) Trial (the “Virtue Trial”) for our U.S. investigational device exemption (“IDE”) pivotal study randomizing Virtue SAB vs. Boston Scientific Corporation’s AGENTTM drug-coated balloon. Designed to support regulatory approval of Virtue SAB, the Virtue Trial is expected to enroll 740 patients in the United States with enrollment completion currently planned for mid-2027.
Our Flagship Candidates
AVIM Therapy
AVIM Therapy is a bioelectronic therapy candidate designed to immediately, substantially and sustainably lower blood pressure. AVIM Therapy can be fully integrated as a firmware upgrade to standard cardiac pacemakers. HTN is the most common comorbidity in the pacemaker population affecting over 70% of the pacemaker-indicated patients, making AVIM Therapy a potentially highly attractive therapeutic solution for these patients. AVIM Therapy may offer therapeutic benefits to HTN patients not yet indicated for a pacemaker who have uncontrolled systolic blood pressure despite medical therapy and have high cardiovascular risk factors, such as Isolated System Hypertension (“ISH”), Diastolic Dysfunction (“DD”) and additional serious medical comorbidities including hypertensive patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (“HFpEF”).
Although the safety and efficacy profile has not yet been established by any regulatory body, AVIM Therapy previously showed encouraging results in clinical studies conducted by Orchestra BioMed with its ModeratoTM device, including the MODERATO II study, a prospective, multi-center, randomized, double-blind pilot study (the “MODERATO II study)” and in the MODERATO I study, a prospective, multi-center, single-arm open label study of patients with uncontrolled HTN and an indication for a pacemaker. We have also published additional clinical study results demonstrating favorable mechanistic and cardiac function effects of AVIM Therapy on patients with blood pressure above target thresholds.
1
Table of Contents
On June 30, 2022, we entered into an exclusive license and collaboration agreement with Medtronic, one of the largest medical device companies in the world, for the development of AVIM Therapy for the treatment of HTN in pacemaker-indicated patients (the “Medtronic Collaboration”). The Medtronic Collaboration provides us with development, clinical and regulatory support for the BACKBEAT (BradycArdia paCemaKer with AVIM for Blood prEssure treAtmenT) global pivotal study (“BACKBEAT study”). Upon regulatory approval, if received, Medtronic will have the exclusive global rights to commercialize AVIM Therapy for this target population. If AVIM Therapy is approved and successfully commercialized, we will share meaningfully in the revenues generated from Medtronic’s sale of AVIM-enabled pacing systems. Medtronic has a right of first negotiation with respect to AVIM Therapy for the treatment of HTN in non-pacemaker patients.
On August 5, 2025, we announced that we and Medtronic had amended the Medtronic Collaboration to provide a pathway for potential integration of AVIM Therapy into future Medtronic leadless pacemakers. At the same time, we announced that Medtronic made an additional equity investment in the Company of $11.6 million and committed $20 million in exchange for a secured subordinated promissory note convertible to a capped revenue share credit. During 2022, Medtronic invested $40.0 million in the Series D Financing and entered into a $10.0 million forward purchase agreement in support of the Business Combination (as defined below).
We estimate that the total addressable market for pacemaker-indicated patients with HTN comprises more than 1,000,000 patients worldwide per year and represents a potential annual revenue opportunity for us and Medtronic of over $2.4 billion. We further estimate that the annual market for highly selected patients with uncontrolled hypertension that are not yet indicated for a pacemaker but have high cardiovascular risk and key co-morbidities, including HFpEF, comprises at least 3.7 million patients worldwide, or approximately 0.3% of the global HTN population, and represents a potential annual revenue opportunity for Orchestra BioMed and a strategic partner of over $15 billion.
On April 22, 2025, we announced that the FDA had granted Breakthrough Device Designation (“BDD”) for an implantable system for delivery of AVIM Therapy using conduction system pacing to reduce blood pressure in patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function and uncontrolled hypertension with increased high ten-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (“ASCVD”) risk, despite the use of anti-hypertensive medications or in patients who may have intolerance to anti-hypertensive medications. Orchestra BioMed estimates that there are over 7.7 million patients in the U.S. that meet the criteria for the BDD for AVIM Therapy.
On September 19, 2023, we announced that the FDA granted us investigational device exemption (“IDE”) approval to initiate the BACKBEAT study to treat HTN in patients indicated for a pacemaker. The study is a double-blind, randomized study that is expected to enroll up to 500 patients that have previously been implanted with a Medtronic dual-chamber pacemaker (Azure® or Astra®) and have blood pressure above target despite medical therapy at up to 130 clinical sites worldwide. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to AVIM Therapy plus medical therapy (treatment) as compared to medical therapy alone (control). On January 8, 2024, we announced that the first patient was enrolled and randomized into the BACKBEAT study. We currently estimate completion of enrollment of the BACKBEAT study in mid-2026; however, there is no assurance that our current operating plan will be achieved. For a detailed description of the BACKBEAT study, see “—BIOELECTRONIC PRODUCT CANDIDATES —AVIM Therapy for Hypertension and CNT-HF for Heart Failure—Clinical Results—Clinical, Regulatory and Commercialization Pathway—The BACKBEAT Global Pivotal Study.”
Virtue SAB
Virtue SAB is a proprietary drug/device combination product candidate for the treatment of artery disease that is designed to deliver a large liquid dose of proprietary, investigational, extended-release formulation of sirolimus (“SirolimusEFR”) to the vessel wall during balloon angioplasty without the need for balloon coating or a permanent implant. Although the safety and efficacy profile has not yet been established by any regulatory body, Virtue SAB previously demonstrated promising three-year clinical data in the treatment of coronary ISR in the prospective, multi-center SABRE Study.
Virtue SAB was granted BDD by the FDA, for specific indications relating to the treatment of coronary ISR, coronary small vessel disease and peripheral artery disease below-the-knee. We estimate that these indications will represent an annual global addressable market opportunity of at least $10 billion, based on approximately 5 million procedures, as discussed below under “— INTERVENTIONAL THERAPIES — Virtue SAB for Artery Disease and SirolimusEFR for Local Inflammation in Multiple Indications. — Targeted Unmet Needs and Market Opportunity for Virtue SAB.”
2
Table of Contents
On April 29, 2025, we announced IDE approval from the FDA for the Virtue Trial, a pivotal trial to be conducted at up to 75 sites in the U.S. that is expected to randomize approximately 740 patients 1:1 to either treatment with Virtue SAB or Boston Scientific Corporation’s AGENTTM paclitaxel-coated balloon (currently the only drug-coated balloon approved in the U.S. for a coronary indication) with a primary efficacy and safety endpoint of statistical non-inferiority of target lesion failure (“TLF”) at 12 months post index treatment.
On October 27, 2025, we announced that we had initiated enrollment of patients for the Virtue Trial. We currently estimate completion of enrollment of the Virtue Trial in mid-2027; however, there is no assurance that our current operating plan will be achieved.
On October 28, 2025, we entered into a termination and right of first refusal agreement (the “Termination and ROFR Agreement”) with Terumo Corporation and Terumo Medical Corporation (collectively, “Terumo”) with respect to Virtue SAB. The Termination and ROFR Agreement, which supersedes and terminates the prior Virtue SAB distribution agreement between us and Terumo (the “Terumo Agreement”), grants Terumo a right of first refusal (“ROFR”) to acquire the rights, or enter a distribution arrangement, with respect to Virtue SAB for the treatment of coronary artery disease, in exchange for an upfront payment of $10.0 million. For additional information relating to the Termination and ROFR Agreement, see the disclosure under the heading “Termination and Right of First Refusal Agreement” in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. In connection with the Termination and ROFR Agreement, on November 7, 2025, Terumo invested an additional $20.0 million in Orchestra BioMed through a new series of non-voting convertible preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (our “Series A Preferred Stock”), which is convertible into common stock in the future, subject to certain conditions, at a minimum of $12 per share pursuant to the terms of a securities purchase agreement (the “Terumo Securities Purchase Agreement”). Terumo previously made a $30.0 million non-refundable payment and $5.0 million common stock investment in Orchestra BioMed upon execution of the Terumo Agreement.
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated Revenue Participation Right Purchase and Sale Agreement and Purchase of Shares
On August 5, 2025, we announced that we had entered into a revenue participation right purchase and sale agreement (the “Revenue Purchase and Sale Agreement”) with Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (“Ligand”). Under the terms of the Revenue Purchase and Sale Agreement, in exchange for payment of $35.0 million (the “Investment Amount”), less certain reimbursable expenses, Ligand acquired from us the right to receive tiered revenue payments (the “Revenue Interest”) with respect to revenue (including certain licensing revenue) received by us in a calendar year in connection with worldwide net product sales, or other product revenue received by, by us and our licensees (“Annual Net Sales”) of (a) AVIM Therapy (the “Primary Product”) in the field of hypertension treatment and (b) the Virtue SAB (the “Secondary Product” and together with the Primary Product, the “Products”) in the field of coronary artery treatment. Ligand also made a $5.0 million equity investment in the Company. For additional information, see Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements – “Royalty Purchase Agreement.”
History of Caliber and BackBeat
We were incorporated in Delaware in January 2017 and were formed to acquire operating and other assets as well as to raise capital to support further development of acquired assets. We had limited activity in 2017. In May 2018, we concurrently completed a recapitalization and mergers with Caliber Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation that has, among other things, the rights to the Virtue SAB product candidate and BackBeat Medical, Inc., a Delaware corporation that has, among other things, the rights to the AVIM Therapy product candidate. Caliber Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in October 2005 and began development of its lead product candidate, Virtue SAB, in 2008. BackBeat Medical, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in January 2010 and began development of its lead product candidate, AVIM Therapy, that same year.
Conversion of Caliber and BackBeat Limited Liability Companies
On December 26, 2019, we completed the conversions of Caliber Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, to Caliber Therapeutics, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and BackBeat Medical, Inc., a Delaware corporation, to BackBeat Medical, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “Caliber” refer to Caliber Therapeutics, Inc. prior to its conversion to a limited liability company and to Caliber Therapeutics, LLC after its conversion to a limited liability company, as applicable. References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “BackBeat” refer to BackBeat Medical, Inc. prior to its conversion to a limited liability company and to BackBeat Medical, LLC after its conversion to a limited liability company, as applicable.
3
Table of Contents
Merger with Health Sciences Acquisitions Corporation 2
We were incorporated in the Cayman Islands in 2020, as a special purpose acquisition company under the name Health Sciences Acquisitions Corporation 2 (“HSAC2”). On January 26, 2023, Orchestra BioMed, Inc. and HSAC2 consummated a business combination with HSAC2 pursuant to which, among other things, Orchestra BioMed, Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of HSAC2 and HSAC2 changed its name to Orchestra BioMed Holdings, Inc. (the “Business Combination”).
Partnership-Enabled Business Model
Our business was formed specifically to pursue a partnership-enabled business model that applies strategies typically used by the biopharmaceutical industry to the medical device market where product developers are often challenged with the financial and execution burdens of also commercializing the products they are developing to achieve a value inflection event for their shareholders.
Our goal is to accelerate and improve the likelihood of our product innovations reaching patients and providers worldwide by sharing the risks and rewards of developing and commercializing these product candidates with established multinational companies, such as Medtronic. Using this approach, we believe we can pursue multiple potentially lucrative innovation opportunities by focusing our efforts and resources on advancing promising therapeutic solutions, such as AVIM Therapy and Virtue SAB, through pivotal-stage clinical results. Meanwhile, our partners secure substantial new prospective growth opportunities with the potential to reduce risk and expense while leveraging their existing infrastructure to bring our partnered product candidates through regulatory approvals processes to global markets quickly and efficiently (assuming regulatory approval is obtained).
We believe our partnership-enabled business model can create value for its stakeholders and partners by:
Our Product Pipeline
Our pipeline is comprised of innovative therapeutic product candidates that we believe have the potential for value creation using our partnership-enabled business model, led by our flagship technologies, AVIM Therapy and Virtue SAB. We believe our product pipeline has the potential to improve clinical outcomes and provide distinct commercial advantages major cardiovascular indications in large and well-established global medical device markets with unmet medical needs: AVIM Therapy in cardiac rhythm management implants, an overall global market that Grand View Research valued at a $17.2 billion market worldwide in 2024; and Virtue SAB in interventional devices to treat coronary artery disease (“CAD”) and peripheral artery disease (“PAD”), an overall global market that IMARC Group, a leading market research company, valued at a $26.7 billion market worldwide in 2024. Our pipeline also includes additional product candidates for other significant medical conditions that we believe are attractive candidates for value creation using its partnership-enabled business model.
Our product candidates are based on platform technologies that each have late-stage lead clinical indications with attractive follow-on clinical indications that could add substantial future commercial potential. Moreover, our additional pipeline opportunities, such as Cardiac Neuromodulation Therapy (“CNT”) for heart failure, or potential treatment of clinical indications such as urology or osteoarthritis using SirolimusEFR, and the microporous AngioInfusion balloon technology used in the Virtue SAB leverage the same platform technologies and intellectual property already developed for its flagship product candidates. Generally, our product candidates target large, mature global markets in which there are several active multinational and regional corporations with established distribution capabilities in place. These product candidates are designed to potentially offer important clinical, health and economic benefits without changing established treatment paradigms such as physician techniques or patient referral and treatment patterns, providing a select strategic partner a potential means to differentiate their product portfolios from competitors, drive revenue growth and gain market share. Our strategic collaboration agreement with Medtronic for AVIM Therapy demonstrates our ability to align with a global market leader for the long-term development and commercialization of a product candidate.
4
Table of Contents
The following table summarizes our material pipeline programs organized by product platform, as well as target indications, development status, market opportunity, strategic partners/collaborators and next milestones.
Advancing a High-Impact Pipeline
1Will seek to leverage data from the pilot and pivotal trials involving HTN in patients indicated for a cardiac pacemaker (the “HTN+P population” or the “Primary Field”) to support clinical and regulatory development for HTN with high cardiovascular risk in patients not yet indicated for a pacemaker indication given that age and other demographic factors of the target population are expected to be similar, the type of hypertension treated will likely be isolated systolic hypertension which is predominant in the HTN+P population, and other co-morbidities are also expected to be common to both target populations.
2Plan to leverage existing coronary ISR data to support potential pivotal studies, although there have only been limited discussions with the FDA or comparable foreign regulators in this regard.
3Virtue SAB has received Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA for the balloon dilatation of the stenotic portion (up to 26 mm length) of a stented coronary artery (ISR) that is 2.25 to 4.0 mm in diameter, for the purpose of improving lumen diameter.
4Virtue SAB has received Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA for the balloon dilatation of the de novo stenotic portion (up to 26mm in lesion length) of a native coronary artery of 2.0 mm to 2.5 mm in diameter (small coronary arteries), for the purpose of improving lumen diameter.
5Virtue SAB has received Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA for the balloon dilatation of the stenotic portion (up to 18 mm length) of an infrapopliteal artery (P-3 segment or distal, below the knee, with reference vessel diameter (RVD) 2.25 – 4.0 mm), for the purpose of improving lumen diameter.
BIOELECTRONIC PRODUCT CANDIDATES —AVIM Therapy for Uncontrolled Hypertension and CNT-HF for Heart Failure
We are developing bioelectronic therapies based on patented CNT technology. Our product candidates are designed to use standard active implantable cardiac rhythm management systems, such as pacemakers, with changes to firmware and software only. Our flagship product candidate of the Bioelectronic Therapies Group is AVIM Therapy, a patented, potential bioelectronic treatment for uncontrolled HTN, the leading risk factor for death worldwide. We have an exclusive strategic collaboration with Medtronic for the development and commercialization of AVIM Therapy for the treatment of uncontrolled HTN in patients indicated for a cardiac pacemaker. We also believe AVIM Therapy may offer therapeutic benefit to select patients with uncontrolled HTN who are not indicated for a pacemaker, including those with increased cardiovascular risk and HFpEF. Medtronic has a right of first negotiation with respect to AVIM Therapy for the treatment of HTN in non-pacemaker patients.
We are also pursuing CNT-HF, a bioelectronic product candidate that aims to reduce chronic sympathetic nervous system activity in heart failure (“HF”) for which there is an estimated global patient population of 64 million people according to the AME Medical Journal.
5
Table of Contents
Atrioventricular Interval Modulation (AVIM) Therapy Product Candidate
In the discussion below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10 K, we reference p-values, which are statistical calculations that relate to the probability that the observed difference between groups happened by chance, with a p-value of less than 0.05 (i.e., less than a 5% probability that the observed difference happened by chance) generally considered as the threshold to indicate statistical significance in clinical trials.
AVIM Therapy is a bioelectronic product candidate for uncontrolled HTN that is designed to immediately, substantially and sustainably reduce blood pressure. AVIM Therapy is delivered through programmed cardiac pacing algorithms and is designed to leverage standard rhythm management device procedures (dual-chamber pacemaker), utilizing the same implant procedure and lead positions while still enabling standard rhythm management (pacing) functions. While AVIM Therapy is designed to achieve certain results as described above, there is no guarantee that AVIM Therapy will prove to be safe and effective.
Clinical studies performed to date have been conducted using our proprietary Moderato system, a pacemaker system, incorporating AVIM therapy. Clinical results from two European clinical studies, the MODERATO I single-arm clinical study and the MODERATO II double-blind, randomized, controlled pilot study, demonstrated a significant and clinically meaningful reduction in systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients also indicated for a pacemaker. In particular, the MODERATO II study met its primary efficacy endpoint, as patients randomized to AVIM Therapy showed a statistically significant 11.1 mmHg (p<0.01) reduction in mean 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure (“aSBP”) at six months follow-up from activation, resulting in a statistically significant difference of 8.1 mmHg (p=0.01) of aSBP compared to control patients who were managed only with anti-hypertensive medications. The study also met its primary safety endpoint with no clinically meaningful differences in rate of major adverse cardiac events (“MACE”) between the two groups at six months follow-up. Further details on the results of the AVIM Therapy clinical studies performed to date are provided below.
Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Medtronic
In June 2022, we and Medtronic entered into the Medtronic Agreement for the development and commercialization of AVIM Therapy for the treatment of uncontrolled HTN in patients indicated for a cardiac pacemaker (the “HTN+P population” or the “Primary Field”). Under the terms of the Medtronic Agreement, we are the sponsor for the BACKBEAT study to support regulatory approval in the United States, European Union (the “EU”), Japan and other potential territories of AVIM Therapy in the Primary Field and we are financially responsible for development, clinical and regulatory costs associated with this pivotal study.
Medtronic has completed integration and associated validation and verification testing of AVIM Therapy algorithms as a field downloadable addition to its premium, commercially available dual-chamber pacemaker systems for use in the pivotal study. Medtronic is also providing clinical, regulatory, operational field clinical resources in support of the BACKBEAT study. We are reimbursing Medtronic at cost for these development, clinical and regulatory resources. Medtronic will integrate AVIM Therapy, at our cost, as a firmware component of a premium pacemaker for potential regulatory approval and commercialization of AVIM-enabled commercial devices following a successful outcome of the BACKBEAT study.
Medtronic is the global market leader in cardiac rhythm management (“CRM”), and pacemaker devices, with over 50% of the U.S. market share for such devices and typically having a leading share in all other global markets. Given Medtronic’s market leadership and the potential therapeutic benefits of AVIM Therapy, we believe AVIM-enabled pacemakers, if commercially approved, have the potential to be rapidly adopted into existing pacemaker-indicated patient care for addressable hypertensive patients. We further believe the substantial potential added clinical value and differentiation of AVIM-enabled pacemakers can help Medtronic potentially expand market share and grow revenue.
6
Table of Contents
Under the terms of the Medtronic Agreement, Medtronic will have exclusive rights in the Primary Field to commercialize AVIM-enabled pacing systems globally following receipt of regulatory approvals. Medtronic would be entirely responsible for global commercialization following any receipt of regulatory approvals, including manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution costs. Under the terms of the Medtronic Agreement, assuming that AVIM-enabled devices are sold at average selling prices supported by existing reimbursement structures worldwide (e.g., no higher or additional reimbursement is available), we are expected to receive between $500 and $1,600 per AVIM-enabled device sold based on a formula of the higher of (1) a fixed dollar amount per AVIM-enabled device (amount varies materially on a country-by-country basis) or (2) a percentage of the AVIM Therapy generated sales. This estimated range is derived from publicly available information, our management’s knowledge of the pacemaker market, our discussions with Medtronic, and the terms of the Medtronic Agreement. Based on our discussions with Medtronic, the global market leader in pacemakers, the terms of the Medtronic Agreement and our management’s knowledge of reimbursement codes for medical devices, we believe that AVIM-enabled pacemakers can be supported by existing reimbursement codes without the need for new codes.
Under the terms of the Medtronic Agreement, Medtronic has a right of first negotiation through FDA approval of AVIM Therapy for the Primary Field, to expand its global rights to AVIM Therapy for the treatment of uncontrolled HTN in patients not indicated for a pacemaker.
In addition to customary early termination provisions, the Medtronic Agreement will terminate on the date no further revenue share payments are due under the Medtronic Agreement, at which point Medtronic’s license under the Medtronic Agreement would become fully paid up, perpetual, irrevocable and royalty-free. Revenue share payments with respect to each applicable country (or group of countries) are to be paid for a minimum period of time determined by the latest to occur of (a) the expiration of the last valid claim of certain specified patents or (b) the date that is 12 years after the first commercial sale of any AVIM-enabled pacemakers in the applicable country or group of countries.
On July 31, 2025, Orchestra BioMed, Inc., BackBeat and Medtronic entered into an amendment to the Medtronic Agreement, which became effective on August 4, 2025 (the “Medtronic Agreement Amendment”), to provide, among other things, a development and commercialization framework for future AVIM-therapy integration into a dual-chamber leadless pacemaker. Pursuant to the Medtronic Agreement Amendment, we will, among other things, be required to reimburse Medtronic for certain expenses incurred in connection with the integration of AVIM-therapy into Medtronic’s dual-chamber leadless pacemaker, up to a specified cap.
Market Needs
Hypertension
HTN is elevated blood pressure that increases risk of major cardiac events like heart attack and stroke and can contribute to other significant conditions such as heart failure and kidney disease. According to the World Health Organization (the “WHO”), HTN is the leading global risk factor for death affecting an estimated 1.4 billion adults worldwide. Cardiovascular risk doubles for every 10 mmHg increase in office systolic blood pressure and the mortality rate doubles with an increase of 20 mmHg in office systolic blood pressure, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
7
Table of Contents
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the “CDC”) estimates 119.9 million adults, or approximately 48% of all adults in the United States have HTN. Within this group only 1 in 4 adults have their condition under control. In 2025, the American Heart Association (“AHA”) and the American College of Cardiology (“ACC”) updated their High Blood Pressure Clinical Practice Guideline, maintaining the same blood pressure thresholds established in 2017 for diagnosing hypertension—Stage 1 hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 130–139 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of 80–89 mm Hg, and Stage 2 hypertension as a systolic blood pressure of ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of ≥90 mm Hg. However, the 2025 guideline introduces new clinical tools and recommendations that further refine management strategies, including use of the PREVENT risk calculator to guide treatment decisions and broaden the indication for earlier pharmacotherapy in patients with Stage 1 hypertension who do not achieve targets with lifestyle changes. Under these updated guidelines, the estimated prevalence of hypertension among U.S. adults increased to nearly 47%, equivalent to approximately 120 million adults. While many global guidelines have not yet adopted these specific U.S. thresholds and continue to use the traditional ≥ 140/90 mmHg definition for diagnosing hypertension, the 2025 ACC/AHA guideline emphasizes more intensive control and earlier intervention to reduce cardiovascular and related risks. Importantly, a large proportion of U.S. adults over age 65—who are most likely to require pacemakers—now meet the criteria for hypertension under the updated definition. Additionally, the guideline recommends that a substantial number of U.S. adults taking antihypertensive medication may benefit from more intensive blood pressure–lowering treatment to achieve a target of <130/80 mmHg for optimal risk reduction.
The CDC reported high blood pressure as the primary or contributing cause of death in 2022 for more than 685,000 people in the United States, equating to nearly 1,875 deaths per day. By 2035, the estimated direct cost of high blood pressure could increase to $220.9 billion (annual average), according to the AHA.
Non-adherence to antihypertensive treatment is a critical contributor to suboptimal blood pressure control and another important risk factor for adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes. Of U.S. patients aware of their HTN diagnosis, about 76% are believed to be taking anti-hypertensive medication, but only 52% of those have their condition controlled, according to the Journal of Clinical Hypertension. Therefore, approximately 60% of hypertensive U.S. adults have uncontrolled HTN. An estimated 31% of HTN patients are non-adherent to medications, according to the AHA. Thus, many medically responsive patients have high blood pressure simply because they do not take their medications, making medication non-compliance one of the most prominent challenges of HTN management. In addition, since HTN patients are typically older, they are more likely to be prescribed multiple medications for HTN and other medical conditions: polypharmacy (multiple medications) is associated with increased risk of adverse events (fall injury, heart failure, etc.), polypharmacy mismanagement, and drug-drug interactions. Furthermore, AHA estimates as much as 15% of the prevalent HTN population is resistant to medical therapy, and these patients are 47% more likely to suffer the combined outcomes of death, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, or chronic kidney disease over the median 3.8 years of follow-up than other HTN patients. Because of the factors mentioned above, there is a significant need for alternative therapies to treat HTN, particularly, device-based therapies that do not require patient compliance for receiving treatment.
Isolated Systolic Hypertension, Elevated Pulse Pressure & Diastolic Dysfunction
Based on data from the CDC, 72% of U.S. adults over 60 years old have HTN, with over 65% of them suffering from isolated systolic hypertension (“ISH”). ISH patients have elevated systolic blood pressure (>140 mmHg), while their diastolic blood pressure remains normal or low (≤90 mmHg). ISH is a more difficult to treat form of HTN because anti-hypertensive medications generally impact both systolic and diastolic pressure. It is estimated that over 80% of medical treatment failure patients over 60 years old have ISH, according to the AHA. ISH patients experience elevated pulse pressure, which is the difference between systolic and diastolic pressures (“Pulse Pressure”). Pulse Pressure is a known, significant, independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. According to published literature, a 10 mmHg increase in Pulse Pressure is associated with a 32% increase in risk of heart failure and a 24% increase in risk of stroke (after controlling for systolic BP and other risk factors). In addition, in men ≥60 years old (the typical age of pacemaker patients), risk for coronary artery disease is three times larger in patients with Pulse Pressure of ≥70 mmHg compared to those with Pulse Pressure of 60 mmHg.
Long standing HTN leads to cardiac structural and functional changes that frequently result in left ventricular (“LV”) diastolic dysfunction (“DD”), a condition in which the left ventricle has impaired relaxation and filling, leading to increased pressure and reduced efficiency in pumping blood. It is a key contributor to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which accounts for approximately 50% of all heart failure cases. HTN is one of the primary causes of DD and the prevalence of DD increases with age, affecting over 50% of individuals over 70.
8
Table of Contents
Hypertension among Patients with Pacemakers
Pacemakers are recommended for the management of symptomatic bradycardia (slow heart rate) due to sick sinus syndrome, atrio-ventricular block, a combination of these conditions or other situations in which patients are prone to brady-arrhythmias. Currently available devices have evolved from single-chamber, fixed-rate pacemakers to multi-chamber, rate-responsive units. In the United States, over 85% of pacemaker patients receive dual-chamber devices which have wires or leads implanted in the right atrium and right ventricle of the heart capable of sensing and stimulating the heart to control contraction timing of both chambers. There are projected to be approximately 1.4 million dual-chamber pacemaker implants performed worldwide in 2028 according to GlobalData & Life Science Intelligence. Global sales of dual-chamber pacemakers exceeded $3.6 billion in 2022 according to GlobalData, comprising over 20% of the overall $17.2 billion market for implantable cardiac rhythm management devices.
Based on ACC/AHA guidelines, we estimate that nearly 80% of U.S. patients that are indicated for the implant of a pacemaker have HTN. Among this group of patients, over 60% are estimated to have uncontrolled HTN based on the treatment goal per the 2025 ACC/AHA guidelines. Further, since the average age of pacemaker-indicated patients is approximately 73 years old and, in consideration of other demographic factors associated with this population, these patients are at elevated risk of ISH (over 80% of patients enrolled in prior clinical studies of AVIM Therapy had ISH). Furthermore, these patients are likely to suffer from DD, have increased overall cardiovascular risk as well as other co-morbidities such as atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. We believe these patients could benefit substantially from a HTN treatment like AVIM Therapy that can be administered via an already necessary pacemaker.
Target Patient Populations and Market Opportunity for AVIM Therapy
The initial target market for AVIM Therapy is the large population of patients with uncontrolled HTN who also require the implant or replacement of a pacemaker (the HTN+P population). Pursuing this patient population leverages the design of AVIM Therapy to address hypertension in patients who already require a pacemaker implant since it can be readily incorporated into standard cardiac rhythm management systems such as pacemakers, as Medtronic has already done for the BACKBEAT study. As a novel HTN therapy that can be completely integrated with an established existing commercially available device patients already require for a critical medical indication, we believe AVIM Therapy can be readily adopted into the existing care paradigm for hypertensive patients that already require a pacemaker implant. As described above, we believe there is a significant unmet need and commercial opportunity for more effective treatment of the HTN+P population.
AVIM-enabled pacemakers can be implanted using standard implant procedures, electrical leads and lead positions. Further, we believe any experienced and trained physicians who perform pacemaker implants, such as electrophysiologists and cardiologists, will be able to select an AVIM-enabled pacemaker for an appropriate patient without the need for another physician referral, if approved. AVIM Therapy features proprietary algorithms that are designed to enable physicians to non-invasively adjust the therapeutic parameters to optimize chronic blood pressure reduction to individual patient needs. In addition, AVIM Therapy is designed to be de-activated or reactivated by the physician as necessary, offering potential efficacy and safety advantages over other device-based therapies. Importantly, the delivery of AVIM Therapy does not rely on patient adherence or compliance, offering a significant complement to pharmaceutical therapies for which adherence and compliance are a key challenge.
We estimate that the addressable annual market for pacemaker-indicated patients with HTN will comprise more than 1,000,000 patients worldwide by 2028. We estimate that, if approved, commercialization of AVIM Therapy in hypertensive pacemaker patients can increase the commercial value of the global pacemaker device market by over $2.4 billion annually. This substantial annual opportunity is based on incorporating AVIM Therapy’s potentially potent and clinically impactful HTN treatment capabilities into a pacemaker to drive a meaningful increase in the average selling price (“ASP”) that can be supported by existing pacemaker procedure codes globally.
9
Table of Contents
AVIM Therapy may also offer clinical utility for HTN patients not yet indicated for a pacemaker who have uncontrolled systolic blood pressure despite medical therapy and have increased cardiovascular risk factors such as ISH, DD and additional serious medical comorbidities. We estimate that this additional addressable annual market for select patients with uncontrolled hypertension and high cardiovascular risk not yet indicated for a pacemaker will comprise at least 3.7 million patients worldwide by 2025, or approximately 0.2% of the global HTN population. We calculate this estimated market using information from publicly available third-party sources that only includes those hypertensive patients who are (1) over 60 years of age with high (>20%) ASCVD score, (2) are currently being treated with at least one medication, (3) have high systolic blood pressure (greater than 160 mmHg oSBP) despite medical therapy, (4) have preserved ejection fraction (EF >50%), (5) have ISH and/or DD or HFpEF, and (5) do not have high burden atrial fibrillation or severe valvular disease. Using similar maximum ASP figures based on existing reimbursement codes for pacemaker implantation, we estimate that this calculated market represents a global potential annual revenue opportunity of over $15.4 billion using similar potential ASPs as AVIM-enabled pacemakers.
FDA Breakthrough Device Designation
On April 22, 2025, we announced that the FDA had granted BDD for an implantable system for delivery of AVIM Therapy using conduction system pacing to reduce blood pressure in patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function and uncontrolled hypertension with increased high ten-year ASCVD risk, despite the use of anti-hypertensive medications or in patients who may have intolerance to anti-hypertensive medications. Orchestra BioMed estimates that there are over 7.7 million patients in the U.S. that meet the criteria for the BDD for AVIM Therapy.
The FDA Breakthrough Devices Program, which reflects the FDA’s commitment to device innovation and protecting public health, is designed to expedite the development and provide priority review of innovative medical technologies that have the potential to significantly improve outcomes for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions. To be eligible for this designation, a device must demonstrate the potential to provide more effective treatment or diagnosis of a life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating condition. In addition, the device must meet at least one of the following criteria: it must represent breakthrough technology, have no approved or clear alternatives, offer significant advantages over existing options, or be determined by the FDA to be in the best interest of patients. Beyond regulatory acceleration, the BDD may also support favorable reimbursement pathways, including eligibility for incremental inpatient reimbursement through the New Technology Add-on Payment (“NTAP”) and outpatient Transitional Pass-Through payments (“TPT”) under the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) programs. These mechanisms may help facilitate more timely access to breakthrough technologies while supporting provider adoption and patient access.
Impact Potential of AVIM Therapy
AVIM Therapy is a bioelectronic product candidate for uncontrolled HTN that is designed to immediately, substantially and sustainably reduce blood pressure. AVIM Therapy is delivered through programmed cardiac pacing algorithms. These algorithms are specifically designed to reduce blood pressure by (1) lowering cardiac preload (ventricular filling volume) and maintaining reduced blood pressure and by (2) modulating sympathetic tone (the level of activity of the sympathetic nervous system) as well as reducing cardiac afterload (total peripheral resistance). AVIM Therapy is designed to leverage standard rhythm management devices (dual-chamber pacemakers), utilizing the same implant procedure and lead positions while still enabling standard rhythm management (pacing) functions. We believe that physicians such as implanting cardiologists and electrophysiologists who currently implant pacemakers and are responsible for the care of these patients can make the medical decision to implant an AVIM-enabled pacemaker in an eligible patient. Further, we believe that AVIM-enabled devices can garner meaningfully higher ASPs that can be supported by existing reimbursement without the need for new procedure codes. While AVIM Therapy is designed to achieve certain results as described above and below, there is no guarantee that AVIM Therapy will prove to be safe and effective.
10
Table of Contents
AVIM Therapy is designed to deliver cardiac pacing to reduce blood pressure through two essential mechanisms:
1Kalarus et al. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2021;10:e020492ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.020492.
2Kuck, Hemodynamics Effects of AVIM Therapy, THT’24
11
Table of Contents
Preclinical Data
The goal of the preclinical studies was to evaluate the feasibility of the use of AVIM Therapy in a canine model with surgically induced HTN and to provide a rationale for clinical use to persistently lower blood pressure in patients with HTN. AVIM Therapy was delivered via pacing algorithms in a prototype device in the canine model. Chronic delivery of AVIM Therapy significantly reduced 24-hour aSBP by an average of 32.5 mmHg over a one-month period (n=4).
The reduction occurred immediately upon activation of therapy and was maintained for the period that the therapy was active (approximately 30 days). Blood pressure did not meaningfully change in the study’s single control animal that had an AVIM Therapy device implanted but not activated. 24-hour aSBP was measured using an implanted blood pressure sensor.
The chart below shows the baseline 24-hour aSBP profile of one of the study animals prior to therapy activation as compared to the 24-hour aSBP profile of the same animal following activation of AVIM Therapy. The results are plotted as a histogram demonstrating the frequency of blood pressure levels over the course of the 24-hour period. The baseline aSBP histogram shows the percentage frequency of aSBP reaching different levels of pressure ranging from approximately 135 mmHg to 280 mmHg and a most frequent aSBP of approximately 180 mmHg. By contrast, the AVIM Therapy aSBP histogram shows the percentage frequency of aSBP reaching different levels of pressure ranging from approximately 120 mmHg to 260 mmHg and a most frequent aSBP of approximately 145 mmHg. The charts demonstrate the significant improvement in the entire 24-hour aSBP profile of the animal driven by AVIM Therapy as the entire aSBP histogram is shifted substantially downwards and to the left in terms of frequency of reaching lower SBP levels and the peak SBP frequency level is reduced by approximately 35 mmHg. These results are similar in the three AVIM Therapy study animals in terms of substantial improvement of the 24-hour aSBP profile while the one study control animal did not experience a shift in 24-hour aSBP profile.
The chart below on the left shows average aSBP per 24-hour period of the same study animal profiled above over the entire study period. This chart demonstrates that (1) AVIM Therapy drove a substantial reduction of 24-hour aSBP from baseline levels (shown in orange with each box representing a full 24-hour period of aSBP measurement); (2) this blood pressure reduction was maintained through the period that AVIM Therapy was active (as reflected in the orange line made up of orange boxes); and (3) blood pressure levels took more than 10 days to return to baseline levels after AVIM Therapy was turned off, indicating that sympathetic tone responses and afterload levels were potentially modulated by chronic delivery of AVIM Therapy since aSBP levels would be expected to return immediately to baseline levels if sympathetic tone and afterload were not modulated. These results are similar in all three AVIM Therapy study animals in terms of durable substantial improvement of the 24-hour aSBP profile and slow response over days to baseline aSBP levels. As shown in the chart below on the right, the one study control animal did not experience any significant changes in 24-hour aSBP during the study period as illustrated by the chart below.
12
Table of Contents
Clinical Results
Acute Clinical Studies (Nanjing):
A short time-based study of the effects of AVIM Therapy in 18 patients with uncontrolled HTN who were already scheduled to undergo an invasive electrophysiology procedure was conducted at Jiangsu Province Hospital/The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China over a one year period ending March 2012. The study population consisted of patients with uncontrolled HTN and systolic blood pressure >140 mmHg despite at least one anti-hypertensive medication.
AVIM Therapy was applied for at least one minute in all patients and up to five minutes in certain patients based on whether the physician managing the primary electrophysiology procedure allowed for longer duration of treatment based on the time available to perform the AVIM Therapy acute clinical study versus the primary electrophysiology procedure for which the patient was being treated. Various signal parameters were evaluated. All patients exhibited reduction of >10 mmHg in systolic blood pressure. The average sustained reduction in blood pressure was 19.7 +/-7.4 mmHg systolic (p<0.001) and 4.3 +/-3.7 mmHg diastolic (p<0.001). No serious adverse effects were observed or reported in these studies. The study also demonstrated that reduction in blood pressure was titrated by modifying AVIM Therapy parameters as needed.
Acute Clinical Study (Prague):
On March 6, 2024, we announced the presentation of results from a pressure volume (“PV”) loop clinical study of AVIM Therapy in pacemaker-indicated patients with uncontrolled HTN despite the use of anti-hypertensive medication. These clinical data demonstrate the favorable hemodynamic impact of AVIM Therapy as compared to standard right ventricular (“RV”) pacing on systolic blood pressure and overall cardiac function when delivered using both conduction system as well as standard pacing lead locations. The PV loop study was conducted at Na Homolce Hospital in Prague by Petr Neužil, MD, CSc., FESC and the data were presented by Prof. Karl-Heinz Kuck, M.D., Medical Director at LANS Cardio Hamburg at the Technology and Heart Failure Therapeutics 2024 Meeting. On August 26, 2025, we announced that the results of this PV loop study were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Clinical Electrophysiology.
The PV loop study enrolled 16 patients indicated for a dual-chamber pacemaker that also had uncontrolled HTN despite taking anti-hypertensive medication who underwent invasive PV loop testing to evaluate cardiac function, measured by changes in LV volumes and pressures using a pressure-volume catheter placed in the LV. SBP was measured using a pressure transducer placed in the aorta, and baseline measurements were recorded using atrial pacing at a fixed rate. Normal conduction AVIM Therapy with pacing leads placed in AVIM RV locations, as well as in AVIM conduction system pacing (CSP) locations targeting the left bundle branch area (LBBA) regions, respectively, was compared to standard atrioventricular (AV) Pacing.
13
Table of Contents
Overall mean results for each variable were calculated using paired measurements for each individual patient using AVIM RV, AVIM CSP and AV Pacing, respectively:
o SBP was reduced by 17.1 mmHg and 19.2 mmHg compared to 1.6 mmHg
o EDV was reduced by 12.6 mL and 18.6 mL compared to 1.4 mL
o EDP was reduced by 2.3 mmHg and 3.6 mmHg compared to an increase of 0.3 mmHg
o ESV was reduced by 11.0 mL and 14.1 mL compared to an increase of 1.8 mL
o Stroke work (SW) was reduced by 1596 mL and 1870 mL compared to 42 mL
o Ees remained unchanged with AVIM RV, AVIM CSP and AV Pacing
Chronic Clinical Studies:
MODERATO I Single Arm Study
The 27-patient, MODERATO I clinical study was conducted primarily in Europe (along with one clinical site in Chile) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AVIM Therapy using our proprietary Moderato system, capable of delivering AVIM Therapy as well as performing the rhythm management function of a standard dual-chamber pacemaker. The Moderato system, comprised of the implantable pulse generator (“IPG”) and programmer, was manufactured under an original equipment manufacturer contract by a division of Integer Holdings Corporation (“Integer”), a leading supplier of cardiac rhythm management device components. The Moderato system was European Conformity (“CE”) marked in July 2019. However, we do not plan to commercialize the Moderato device but may consider utilizing the CE marked system to conduct additional clinical work in the EU.
The results from the MODERATO I study were published in December 2017 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The main inclusion criteria required patients to have oSBP >150 mmHg despite taking at least two anti-hypertensive drugs as well as having a clinical indication for a dual-chamber pacemaker implant or replacement. Twenty-seven patients meeting all study entry criteria underwent a Moderato device implant, at which time only standard pacemaker functions were activated. Nearly 80% of the patients enrolled had ISH, making them a more difficult group of patients to treat. All enrolled patients were implanted with Moderato devices and then followed for a one-month observation period to evaluate any changes in blood pressure due to either the initiation of standard pacing alone or due to their participation in the study. At the end of the one-month period blood pressure was reassessed to ensure oSBP remained >140 mmHg for eligibility to enter the treatment phase of the study. Only 27 patients met the criteria and AVIM Therapy was activated in these patients. Patients were then reevaluated following three months of treatment for changes in blood pressure assessed by both office cuff measurements and by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure recordings. The study’s co-primary efficacy endpoints were changes in oSBP and mean 24-hour aSBP (added as a study amendment) from pre-activation through three months post activation of therapy. All 27 patients completed the study’s three-month activation period and clinical follow-up. Twenty-one patients consented to be followed at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after activation and only oSBP levels were measured at these longer follow-up time points due to the fact that measuring changes in aSBP over two- to six-month periods is generally deemed appropriate to assess HTN therapies and because additional aSBP measurements are highly burdensome for patients that participate in HTN studies as they require wearing a device that takes frequent blood pressure measurements over a 24-hour period. Two-year follow-up data available from these 21 patients was presented for the first time in October 2017 at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (“TCT”) conference in Denver, Colorado.
14
Table of Contents
The co-primary efficacy endpoint of changes in mean 24-hour aSBP was met successfully with AVIM Therapy activation driving a significant 11.6 mmHg reduction (p<0.001) from pre-activation levels during the first day of therapy. The reduction was maintained through the three-month activation period, representing a statistically significant reduction of 10.1 mmHg (p=0.007) from the pre-activation aSBP. Seventeen of the 27 study patients participated in the co-primary efficacy endpoint analysis which was included as amendment to the MODERATO I study design following initiation of the study given new evidence from other clinical studies regarding the potential importance of change in mean 24-hour aSBP in assessing the potential efficacy of HTN therapies.
The co-primary efficacy endpoint of changes in oSBP was also met successfully with AVIM Therapy driving a statistically significant reduction in oSBP, 16.1 mmHg (p<0.001) from pre-activation levels. This reduction in oSBP was maintained in patients who reached the later follow-up time points with a mean statistically significant reduction of 23.4 mmHg (p<0.001) in oSBP from baseline levels after 24 months of therapy.
1Neuzil et al. Journal of the Am Heart Assoc. 2017;6:e006974.
2Burkhoff MODERATO I Study 2-Year Results TCT 2018.
3Compared to pre-activation.
4aSBP (n=16) at pre-activation.
5AVIM (n=21) continued after completion of study at 3 months to be followed for 2 years.
15
Table of Contents
Long-term (24-month) data showed results consistent with expected mechanism of action, including statistically significant reduction in heart rate (p<0.05), a key measure of sympathetic nervous system activation, and end-diastolic volume, a key safety measure. In addition, comparison of echocardiograms performed at baseline and following activation up to two years of AVIM Therapy showed that there were no significant changes in cardiac function (ejection fraction).
1Burkhoff MODERATO I Study 2-Year Results TCT 2018.
24-month Data Consistent with Expected Mechanism of Action
During the initial study period for MODERATO I, there were eleven serious adverse events (“SAEs”) in seven of the 27 study patients. Nine events in six patients were cardiac related. Two non-cardiac events were urinary tract infections and dyspnea treated with bronchodilator. No events were adjudicated as definitely or probably related to AVIM Therapy. One event was adjudicated as probably related to the implant procedure for the Moderato device. Four events in four patients were adjudicated as possibly related to the Moderato device (atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction with symptoms of heart failure, cardiac asthma, and arrhythmia due to ventricular oversensing).
During the extended 21-month follow-up period that included 24 patients who continued with AVIM Therapy, there were 25 SAEs in twelve patients. No events were adjudicated as definitely or probably related to AVIM Therapy. Out of 25 events, 17 events in seven patients were cardiac related. There were eight non-cardiac events in eight patients. The non-cardiac events included two orthopedic events, two cases of cancer, a transient ischemic event, and three respiratory related events. Five events in three patients were adjudicated as possibly device related. These included two events of atrial fibrillation in the same patient, pneumonia with cardiac decompensation and dyspnea with cardiac decompensation in one patient, and cardiac decompensation in another patient.
MODERATO II Double-Blind, Randomized Study
The results of the MODERATO II study of AVIM Therapy in patients with uncontrolled HTN also indicated for a pacemaker were published in August 2021 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. All patients enrolled in the MODERATO II study, a European prospective, multi-center, double-blind, randomized pilot study of AVIM Therapy, had persistent HTN (aSBP ≥ 130 mmHg and oSBP ≥ 140 mmHg) despite one or more anti-hypertensive medications and a pacemaker indication, and were implanted with our Moderato System. Following a 30-day run-in period during which patients received only standard pacing along with anti-hypertensive medications, patients who met follow-up screening criteria for daytime aSBP were randomized to AVIM Therapy or control groups.
16
Table of Contents
Prior to randomization, mean aSBP for both groups was 136.3 mmHg with patients, on average, treated with over three prescribed anti-hypertensive drugs. 88.5% of the patients in the AVIM Therapy treatment arm had ISH, making them a more challenging group of patients to treat. 71.4% of control arm patients also had ISH. The study met its primary efficacy endpoint of superiority of AVIM Therapy to control in terms of change in mean 24-hour aSBP at six months following randomization. After six months, mean aSBP was reduced by a statistically significant 11.1 mmHg in the AVIM Therapy group as compared to a non-significant reduction of 3.1 mmHg in the control group, resulting in a statistically significant difference of 8.1 mmHg (p=0.01) between groups.
The treatment group saw a high (85%) overall response rate, with approximately 54% of the AVIM-treated patients experiencing aSBP reduction at six months of greater than 10 mmHg, an amount associated with a clinically meaningful reduction in risk of heart attack and stroke.
The study met its secondary efficacy endpoint of superiority of AVIM Therapy to control in terms of change in oSBP at six months following randomization. After six months, oSBP was reduced by a statistically significant 12.4 mmHg in the AVIM Therapy group as compared to a non-significant reduction of 0.1 mmHg in the control group, resulting in a statistically significant difference of 12.3 mmHg (p=0.02) between groups.
The MODERATO II study also met its primary safety endpoint, which was no significant differences in rates of MACE. There were no MACE in the AVIM Therapy group and three MACE in two patients in the control group (one death from cancer and two cardiac events) at six months. Additionally, there were no notable differences in echo parameters between the two arms. During the randomized phase of the study, there were eight SAEs in four patients in the control group (n=21) and none in the treatment group (n=26). Two of the eight events were cardiac related. During the extended 18-month follow-up period that included treatment patients (n=26) and crossover-to-treatment patients (n=14), there were 26 SAEs in 16 patients. Out of 26 events, only 13 events (in eleven patients) were cardiac related. No events were adjudicated as possibly related to AVIM Therapy. The non-cardiac events included four cancer related events, four gastrointestinal disorder events, one COVID-19 death, one amputation, two inflammatory events, and a transient ischemic event.
17
Table of Contents
AVIM-treated patients in the MODERATO II study continued to be followed through the 24-month period of the study, including control patients who crossed over to AVIM Therapy after the end of the six-month double-blind period of the study. Only oSBP measurements were taken at follow-up visits after the six-month aSBP primary endpoint was measured. Significant reduction in oSBP, a mean of 17.5 mmHg, was maintained in all AVIM-treated patients who completed the 24-month follow-up. The results for 24-hour aSBP and oSBP at six months post-randomization, as well as the oSBP results at 24 months are shown in the figure below:
124-Hr aSBP Control (n=19), 1 control patient could not be measured despite repeat measurement (patient had extremely high blood pressure);
18
Table of Contents
Additionally, as shown in the chart below, the mean pre-activation 24-hour aSBP profile (systolic blood pressure plotted over a 24-hour period) for all 26 AVIM Therapy patients (prior to receiving AVIM Therapy) was significantly reduced at six months following AVIM Therapy activation at all time points.
Source:1Burkhoff MODERATO II Study 2-Year Results TCT 2021.
Following completion of the randomized period and successful achievement of the primary endpoints, 14 control patients crossed over to active AVIM Therapy. Nine of the fourteen patients had ISH. The results in these patients were encouraging and consistent with the reductions in the AVIM Therapy group during the randomized portion of the study and are summarized below:
MODERATO II Results in ISH Patients
In a subgroup of the MODERATO II study’s patients with ISH, a dangerous and challenging to treat form of HTN prevalent in older patients, treatment with AVIM Therapy resulted in clinically meaningful and statistically significant reductions of 7.4 mmHg in aSBP and 11.9 mmHg in oSBP when compared to control (continued medical therapy) patients at six months. Further, in patients with ISH, AVIM Therapy drove statistically significant reductions of 9.4 mmHg in ambulatory Pulse Pressure and 13.3 mmHg in office Pulse Pressure at six months as compared to control patients.
19
Table of Contents
1Burkhoff MODERATO II Study 2-Year Results TCT 2021.
2Vaccarino V, et al. Am J Cardiol. 2001.
Definitions: aPP = ambulatory Pulse Pressure, oPP = office Pulse Pressure
1Compared to pre-activation.
224-Hr Ambulatory Pulse Pressure control (n=13) at 6 months. One died of cancer, and one had unsuccessful recording.
3Office Pulse Pressure control (n=14) at 6 months. One died of cancer.
4AVIM Therapy(n=21) at 24 months. One died of cancer, and one died from Covid-19.
20
Table of Contents
MODERATO II Long-Term Follow Up & Therapy Washout Study:
On February 26, 2024, we announced new data demonstrating sustained, clinically meaningful reduction in 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure (aSBP) in hypertensive pacemaker patients treated with AVIM Therapy for over 3 years. Reduction in aSBP measured at 6 months from randomization and therapy activation was the primary endpoint of the MODERATO II study, a European multi-center, double-blind, randomized pilot study involving 47 subjects. Patients randomized to AVIM Therapy and antihypertension medication in that study experienced an 11.1 mmHg (p<0.001) reduction in mean aSBP at 6 months follow-up, resulting in a statistically significant difference of 8.1 mmHg compared to control patients who were managed only with anti-hypertensive medications (p=0.01). Long-term blood pressure results are from a follow-up study of 16 patients originally enrolled in the MODERATO II study. This group included eight patients from the MODERATO II study’s AVIM treatment arm and eight control arm patients that crossed over to AVIM Therapy at the end of the 6-month double-blind phase. In this group of patients, aSBP was measured, on average, 3.6 (±0.6) years following initiation of AVIM Therapy. As a group and based on individual paired data, these patients continued to experience a statistically significant, clinically meaningful mean aSBP reduction of 8.9 mmHg at long-term follow up, which is similar to the mean aSBP reduction of 8.9 mmHg seen in this same group of patients when measured at the 6-month aSBP measurement.
1Kalaras et al. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2021;10:e020492 ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.020492.
2Burkhoff MODERATO II Study 2-Year Results TCT 2021.
3Fischer MODERATO Study Long-term Results ICI 2024.
4Patients re-consented for long-term follow-up.
On September 4, 2025, we announced the presentation of additional clinical results at the HRX Live 2025 Meeting, in Atlanta, GA, demonstrating that the sustained blood pressure-lowering effects of AVIM Therapy are reversible with no evidence of rebound hypertension or blood pressure exceeding initial baseline values, and can be restored upon reactivation. These data further support AVIM Therapy’s potential role as a controllable, programmable, and durable device-based therapy for uncontrolled hypertension. Key findings included:
● Reversible treatment effect following therapy deactivation:
● Immediate effect upon therapy reactivation:
21
Table of Contents
● Reproducible effect:
MODERATO II Results in Patients with Diastolic Dysfunction
In February 2025, we announced results from a retrospective analysis of the MODERATO II study’s data demonstrating favorable impact of AVIM Therapy on Echo markers of diastolic dysfunction (“DD”), a key driver of heart failure progression. The results were presented as late-breaking science at the Technology and Heart Failure Therapeutics (“THT”) 2025 Conference. HTN is the leading cause of DD; both conditions are common in older patients and contribute to the development of heart failure. On August 15, 2025, we announced that these results were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Advances.
The retrospective, treatment-blinded analysis of the MODERATO II study assessed the impact of 6 months on systolic blood pressure (“SBP”) and Echo markers of DD using core lab Echos with independent blinded adjudication. Patients were classified as with DD (“DD+”) or without DD (“DD-”) using the American Society of Echocardiography Guidelines. From the MODERATO II study cohort (n=47), 36 patients had technically sufficient Echo data, and 61% of this group (22/36) had Echo evidence of DD.
Using key measures of diastolic function, AVIM Therapy:
o SBP reduction was similar in patients with and without DD
● Significantly improved key measures of diastolic dysfunction
These findings provide further evidence that AVIM Therapy, in addition to significantly reducing systolic blood pressure, may also favorably influence ventricular function in important ways for patients with DD and at risk for heart failure.
22
Table of Contents
Clinical, Regulatory and Commercialization Pathway
The BACKBEAT Global Pivotal Study
On September 19, 2023, we announced that the FDA granted us IDE approval to initiate our planned BACKBEAT study to treat uncontrolled HTN in patients indicated for a pacemaker. On January 8, 2024, we announced that the first patient was enrolled and randomized into the BACKBEAT study in late December 2023. The BACKBEAT study is a global, multi-center, prospective, randomized, double-blind study investigating the efficacy and safety of AVIM Therapy in patients who have recently undergone implantation of a Medtronic dual-chamber cardiac pacemaker and have uncontrolled HTN despite the use of anti-hypertensive medications. We are actively screening patients for enrollment in the BACKBEAT study. Site activations are expected to continue throughout 2025 with a target of activating up to 130 centers in the United States and Europe. The study will randomize up to 500 patients 1:1 to AVIM Therapy combined with continued medical therapy (treatment) or continued medical therapy and standard pacing alone (control). The study’s primary efficacy endpoint will determine at three months post-randomization whether AVIM-treated patients experience a statistically significant reduction in daily average blood pressure (mean 24-hour aSBP) as compared to control patients. The primary safety endpoint will determine at three months post-randomization whether AVIM-treated patients experience serious adverse device effects that are not anticipated with cardiac pacing. Double-blind follow-up will continue through 12 months to enable the collection of additional clinical endpoints. All patients will be eligible to cross over upon completion of the 12-month blinded follow-up phase. The updated protocol also streamlines site coordinator and patient visit activities. We currently estimate completion of enrollment of the BACKBEAT study in mid-2026; however, there is no assurance that our current operating plan will be achieved.
The design of the BACKBEAT study is outlined in the chart below:
We utilize a four-pronged approach to support clinical activities for the BACKBEAT study: (1) full-time employees and consultants to directly manage the study in Europe; (2) U.S. based full-time employees who manage and oversee clinical trial work that is outsourced to contract research organizations (CROs), strategic partners, and service vendors, including site management and safety monitoring activities; (3) regional field clinical engineers (“FCEs”) who support site activations and on-site clinical activities in the U.S. and Europe, including AVIM programming support ; and (4) FCE and other clinical and regulatory resources from Medtronic, our strategic partner, to assist with certain clinical study activities.
In the third quarter of 2019, the Moderato implantable system that delivers AVIM Therapy for the treatment of uncontrolled HTN while also providing standard pacemaker functions was CE marked in the EU under the Active Implantable Medical Device Directive. We currently do not have plans to commercialize this system in the EU on our own but believe there is a significant opportunity for Medtronic to commercialize AVIM-enabled pacemakers in the EU post-marketing approval. We expect that the BACKBEAT study will include at least 20 clinical study sites in the EU, including several sites that participated in the MODERATO I and II studies.
23
Table of Contents
For the clinical and regulatory development of AVIM Therapy for uncontrolled HTN with high cardiovascular risk, we will seek to leverage data from the BACKBEAT study given that age and other demographic factors of the target population are expected to be similar, the type of HTN treated will likely be isolated systolic HTN which is a predominant form of HTN in the HTN+P population, and other comorbidities are also expected to be similar to both target populations.
AVIM Therapy & CNT-HF for Heart Failure
Our Bioelectronic Therapies group is also seeking to develop a pipeline of additional treatments for development and future licensing based on its patented CNT technology. The lead follow-on therapy candidate is CNT-HF, a bioelectronic treatment for HF. According to the AME Medical Journal, HF affects an estimated 64 million people worldwide. According to the Journal of Cardiac Failure, 6.7 million Americans have HF costing nearly $31.0 billion annually. AHA projects the cost of HF will increase by 127% to $69.8 billion in 2030, amounting to approximately $244 for every U.S. adult. Heart failure was a contributing cause of death in the U.S., resulting in over 400,000 deaths in 2022 and accounted for about 45% of cardiovascular deaths that year, according to the Heart Failure Society of America. Approximately half of the patients with signs and symptoms of heart failure have largely normal left ventricular ejection fraction and are therefore considered Heart Failure patients with Preserved Ejection Fraction (“HFpEF”), according to the AHA. The prevalence of HFpEF compared with prevalence of HF with reduced ejection fraction (“HFrEF”), appears to be increasing over time along with aging of the population and the increasing prevalence of risk factors for HFpEF, such as obesity, HTN, and type 2 diabetes as well as improvements in diagnosis, according to the AHA. Those living with HFpEF experience frequent hospitalizations and high mortality rates. Nevertheless, there are currently no approved disease-modifying therapies for HFpEF. The success of existing HF therapies is mostly limited to treatment of HFrEF, not HFpEF, according to GlobalData.
We are exploring the benefits of AVIM Therapy in patients with HTN and/or ISH that are at high risk for the development of HFpEF or have early-stage HFpEF. We believe there is a likely physiological relationship between chronic HTN, particularly ISH, and other conditions such as DD, and the development of HF. We believe AVIM Therapy may play a beneficial role in the dynamic, helping to prevent progression of HFpEF. We are planning to initiate a pilot clinical study in 2026 of AVIM Therapy for the treatment of patients with HFpEF using our proprietary Moderato Plus IPG.
We have also conducted initial feasibility work with regard to CNT-HF, a modified cardiac neuromodulation therapy algorithm that, like AVIM Therapy, aims to achieve autonomic nervous system modulation with a primary focus on sympathetic down-regulation without substantial impact on blood pressure for the treatment of HFrEF. HFrEF is a syndrome characterized initially by left ventricular dysfunction that triggers countermeasures aimed to restore cardiac output. These responses are compensatory at first but eventually become part of the disease process itself, leading to further worsening cardiac function. Among these responses is the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (“SNS”), that provides inotropic support to the failing heart increasing stroke volume, and peripheral vasoconstriction to maintain mean arterial perfusion pressure, but eventually accelerates disease progression affecting survival. Activation of SNS has been attributed to the withdrawal of normal restraining influences and the enhancement of excitatory inputs, leading to worsening heart failure symptoms and progression of disease.
If shown to be safe and effective, we believe CNT-HF for the treatment of heart failure has the potential to be an attractive therapeutic candidate for licensing and collaboration with strategic partners that have established commercial cardiac rhythm management business. We anticipate that CNT-HF will run on a dual-chamber pacemaker, a three-chamber bi-ventricular pacemaker (also known as a cardiac resynchronization therapy or “CRT” device), as well as, potentially, a combined pacemaker/CRT/defibrillator, allowing potential strategic partners already in the cardiac rhythm management business to provide an entirely new HF treatment leveraging their existing manufacturing and commercialization infrastructure.
24
Table of Contents
INTERVENTIONAL THERAPIES — Virtue SAB for Artery Disease and SirolimusEFR for Local Inflammation in Multiple Indications
We are developing high impact therapeutic product candidates designed to optimize focal drug delivery during well-established interventional procedures with the objective of improving clinical outcomes and reducing complications. Our flagship product candidate of the Interventional Therapies portfolio is Virtue SAB, a drug-device product candidate that is designed to enable targeted delivery of sirolimus, an approved pharmaceutical agent for preventing restenosis during interventional stent treatment of artery disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. We are also exploring multiple additional applications of SirolimusEFR, our proprietary, investigational extended focal release formulation of sirolimus used in Virtue SAB. Sirolimus is a widely used anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical. We believe its unique formulation has the potential for the treatment of local inflammation in target tissues other than coronary and peripheral arteries, and a broad array of additional indications in which we are conducting early exploratory work, such as urology.
Below is a detailed summary of Virtue SAB and an overview of potential future SirolimusEFR-based programs.
Virtue Sirolimus AngioInfusion Balloon
Virtue SAB is a novel, proprietary drug-device combination product candidate for the treatment of artery disease that is designed to deliver a large liquid dose of extended focal release formulation of sirolimus to the vessel wall during balloon angioplasty without the need for balloon coating or a permanent implant. Virtue SAB utilizes two key enabling technologies, our proprietary, investigational formulation of sirolimus, SirolimusEFR, and its patented microporous AngioInfusion Balloon, that work synergistically to optimize the clinical performance of the product candidate. Virtue SAB demonstrated promising clinical data from the SABRE trial, a multi-center, prospective, independent core lab-adjudicated pilot clinical study of 50 patients with coronary ISR conducted in Europe. We are currently enrolling patients in the Virtue Trial, a U.S. IDE pivotal trial to be conducted at up to 75 sites that is expected to randomize approximately 740 patients 1:1 to either treatment with Virtue SAB or Boston Scientific Corporation’s AGENTTM paclitaxel-coated balloon (currently the only drug-coated balloon approved in the U.S. for a coronary indication) with a primary efficacy and safety endpoint of statistical non-inferiority of target lesion failure (“TLF”) at 12 months post index treatment. The aim of this study is to support regulatory approval of Virtue SAB in the U.S. and other countries around the world. We believe Virtue SAB has the potential for further evaluation in follow-on clinical indications such as treatment of de novo coronary small vessel (“SV”) disease, below-the-knee peripheral disease (“BTK”), and other therapeutic areas such as urology.
Termination and ROFR Agreement with Terumo
On October 28, 2025, we entered into the Termination and ROFR Agreement with Terumo with respect to Virtue SAB. The ROFR Agreement, which supersedes and terminates the Terumo Agreement, grants Terumo a ROFR to acquire the rights, or enter a distribution arrangement, with respect to Virtue SAB for the treatment of coronary artery disease, in exchange for an upfront payment of $10.0 million. In connection with the Termination and ROFR Agreement, on November 7, 2025, Terumo invested an additional $20.0 million in Orchestra BioMed through our Series A Preferred Stock, which is convertible into common stock in the future, subject to certain conditions, at a minimum of $12 per share. Terumo previously made a $30.0 million non-refundable payment and $5.0 million common stock investment in Orchestra BioMed upon execution of the Terumo Agreement.
Market Needs — Coronary and Peripheral Artery Disease
Artery disease is caused by atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to the build-up of fatty material and plaque that reduces blood flow through the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle (coronary artery disease or “CAD”) or limbs (peripheral artery disease or “PAD”). CAD reduces blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart muscle and can result in angina, heart attack and lead to heart failure and arrhythmias. PAD can happen in any blood vessel, but it is more common in the legs than the arms and can lead to pain, muscle weakness, wounds and ulcers that are difficult to heal and, eventually, amputation.
According to the WHO, cardiovascular diseases are the top cause of global death, resulting in over 19.8 million deaths annually worldwide. The CDC estimates 1 in 20 adults (approximately 5%) in the U.S. aged 20 and older have CAD and reported 370,000 CAD-driven deaths in the United States in 2022.
25
Table of Contents
The AHA also estimates 10-12 million adults in the United States have PAD, including up to 15% of individuals older than age 70.
Interventional Cardiology
Interventional cardiology is a medical specialty that uses minimally invasive transcatheter, percutaneous technologies and techniques to treat artery disease and atherosclerosis. Catheter-based interventions using balloon angioplasty, stents and other technologies are the most common medical procedures used to treat artery disease and related conditions. There were over 6.4 million coronary and over 1.6 million peripheral catheter-based interventional procedures performed worldwide in 2022 according to Global Data & LSI Research. The global market for coronary interventional devices used to treat CAD, such as stent and balloon angioplasty systems, was valued at approximately $27.8 billion in 2024, and the global market for devices used to treat PAD, including angioplasty balloons, drug-coated balloons (“DCBs”), stents and atherectomy systems, was valued over $7.8 billion in 2022, according to market research firms Grand View Research and Straits Research.
The Evolution of Available Treatment Options
Balloon angioplasty is a procedure where small balloons integrated into catheters are introduced into the vascular system through a small puncture in the femoral artery in the leg or radial artery in the arm. Using specialized imaging technology called angiography, the balloon catheter is threaded through the vasculature to the site of blockage in an artery in the heart (coronary) or in the peripheral vessels. The balloon is then inflated using high pressures (up to 20 atmospheres) in order to crush the blockage (plaque) and expand the artery to restore blood flow.
While plain balloon angioplasty can offer significant clinical benefits, it also comes with drawbacks, such as elastic recoil, arterial remodeling or vascular smooth muscle cell excessive proliferation resulting in restenosis (vessel renarrowing) in response to balloon injury. These problems drove the development of bare metal stents (“BMS”) that are permanently implanted to hold a vessel open. These devices helped address elastic recoil and remodeling which helped reduce the impact of restenosis while also limiting the incidence of abrupt closure.
While the use of BMS helped address abrupt closure, it did not fully address the problem of restenosis in response to injury caused by the interventional procedure. Both angioplasty and stenting cause a stretch injury to the artery, resulting in a healing response whereby arterial smooth muscle cells proliferate and may block the artery again, a process known as restenosis. Restenosis can also occur over longer periods of time after a procedure because of the development of new atherosclerosis.
To help address the problems of restenosis, device manufacturers introduced drug-eluting stents (“DES”), which are stents coated with potent pharmaceutical agents that stop excessive cellular proliferation and thereby minimize ISR. The most commonly used drugs were sirolimus, ‘limus analogs and paclitaxel. Paclitaxel is a cytotoxic drug widely used in cancer chemotherapy. Paclitaxel interferes with cell division, leading to cell death. Sirolimus and other ‘limus analogs, on the other hand, are cytostatic drugs widely used as an immunosuppressant to prevent transplant rejection. Sirolimus works by blocking a key pathway critical to cell proliferation while allowing the cell to continue to function when sirolimus is no longer present. Sirolimus and its analogs, or ‘limus agents, can be administered in high doses without adverse effects, resulting in a low toxicity profile.
In a large meta-analysis of 76 studies in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, ‘limus-eluting stents outperformed paclitaxel-eluting stents. In a meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled trials (“RCTs”), ‘limus-eluting stents demonstrated superior safety and efficacy with significantly lower MACE and target lesion revascularization, rates compared to paclitaxel-eluting stents (see figures below). Thus, ‘limus analog eluting stents have become the clear “gold standard,” with nearly 100% current global market share in the coronary DES marketplace.
26
Table of Contents
Source:Xinlin Zhang, et. al. PLOS ONE 2014 May 20;9(5):e97934.
Definitions: Adj-OS = adjusted observational study; Cl = confidence interval; No. = number of the studies; Non-adj OS = non-adjusted observational study; PES = paclitaxel-eluting stents; RCT = randomized controlled trial; RR = relative risk; SES = sirolimus-eluting stent; TLR = target lesion revascularization
One clearly demonstrated requirement for the use of sirolimus and other ‘limus agents in DES for the prevention of restenosis is that they be bioavailable for approximately 30 days at the treated lesion for optimal efficacy. This 30-day period is considered the critical healing period following the baseline interventional procedure during which the DES is implanted. For commercially successful DES products marketed by leading companies such as Medtronic, Abbott and Johnson & Johnson, the drug elution profile, or rate at which drug is released from the stent, has been specifically engineered and demonstrated in published preclinical results to provide drug availability for approximately 30 days. The critical importance of this 30-plus day elution profile for sirolimus and ‘limus agents is best demonstrated by Medtronic’s experience with its first DES product called Endeavor. The Endeavor DES was designed to have a faster drug release profile resulting in an elution period of approximately 14 days. Clinical results with the Endeavor product were not favorable as compared to other commercially available DES. Subsequently, Medtronic developed and commercialized another DES product called Resolute that eluted Zotarolimus, a ‘limus agent proprietary to Medtronic, over more than 30 days. Medtronic conducted head-to-head clinical studies comparing Endeavor to Resolute demonstrating significantly superior clinical outcomes for Resolute in terms of Late Lumen Loss (“LLL”), and Target Lesion Failure (“TLF”). The figures below show the drug elution profile of the fast-eluting Endeavor DES compared to Resolute and the Cypher DES (Johnson & Johnson) and the Xience DES (Abbott), as well as clinical outcomes comparing Endeavor to Resolute.
27
Table of Contents
1Tada, et. Al., Am Heart J. 2013 Jan; 165(1):80-6;
2Leon M. LBCT III, Session 3014. Presented at: ACC 60th Annual Scientific Sessions; April 2-5, 2011
28
Table of Contents
While DES offer significant clinical improvements over plain balloon angioplasty and BMS, they have limitations, including the need for long-term use of dual antiplatelet therapy (having to use two types of antiplatelet agents) to address the new issues of late and very late stent thrombosis (formation of a blood clot) caused by delayed healing, local inflammation and impaired endothelial function around the stent. In addition, restenosis within a stent occurs in 5 – 10% of stented patients during the first year and continues at a rate of up to 3% per year thereafter, according to data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.
The limitations of DES prompted innovation for improved solutions that enable local delivery of anti-proliferative drugs while not leaving a permanent metal implant in the vessel. Bioabsorbable vascular scaffolds (“BVS”), were developed with the objective of performing like stents while eventually dissolving and leaving nothing behind after a few years. In July 2016, the first such device was approved by the FDA, Abbott’s Absorb Everolimus-eluting BVS. Unfortunately, this promising innovation has encountered several setbacks in clinical studies and upon commercialization. In September 2017, Abbott decided to pull Absorb from the market while other device manufacturers halted their in-progress programs. As a result, the attractive concept of “leave nothing behind” drug-eluting interventional therapy for coronary arteries remains unfulfilled. More recently, these devices are being explored for treatment of below-the-knee PAD, a challenging area of unmet need for which we believe Virtue SAB may warrant further development.
Drug-coated balloons have emerged during the last decade with the goal of providing the mechanical vessel expansion and anti-proliferative drug properties of DES while leaving nothing behind. We believe the concept of combining balloon angioplasty with simultaneous delivery of anti-proliferative medication may offer incremental benefits over available interventional therapies by (i) preserving the artery’s original anatomy; (ii) enabling treatment of vessels where DES delivery is challenging, such as small and bifurcated vessels; (iii) offering potential clinical improvement in lesions where available interventional devices have shown poor performance, including below-the-knee and restenotic lesions; and (iv) minimizing the dependency on long-term dual antiplatelet therapy and associated bleeding risks.
While having the potential to offer benefits over available interventional therapies, drug-coated balloons face some important challenges:
29
Table of Contents
Comparison of ‘Limus Agents and Paclitaxel by Key Attributes Relevant to Drug-Coated Balloons
Despite the limitations of paclitaxel-based DCBs, they are now widely used globally for the treatment of coronary ISR, coronary SV disease and other coronary indications. EU clinical guidelines recommend the use of DCBs for the treatment of coronary ISR based on clinical evidence. On March 1, 2024, Boston Scientific Corporation (“BSC”) announced FDA approval for its AGENTTM paclitaxel-coated balloon for the treatment of coronary ISR. BSC launched the AGENT DCB commercially in the US in late 2024 and has reported rapid commercial uptake since launch. We believe the AGENT DCB is currently becoming the new standard of care for coronary ISR in the US.
BSC has reported 2-year follow-up results from its US IDE study comparing the AGENT DCB to plain balloon angioplasty for the treatment of coronary ISR. These results showed statistical superiority for AGENT over plain balloon angioplasty with respect to the occurrence of TLF, the primary endpoint for the study. However, we believe the 17.9% reported rate of overall TLF at 1 year follow up is still high and creates a need and an opportunity for a differentiated, sirolimus-based product like Virtue SAB to demonstrate superior results and improve this standard of care. In the subgroup of patients that had single-layer ISR, AGENT DCB showed a TLF rate of 13.5% at 1 year follow up. This TLF result worsened by over 53% to 20.7% at 2-year follow-up.
At TCT 2025, Cordis reported preliminary results from its IDE study called SELUTION4ISR comparing the performance of its Selution SLRTM sirolimus-coated balloon to a “standard of care” control group including DES and plain old balloon angioplasty (“POBA”) for the treatment of coronary ISR. While the Selution DCB achieved statistical non-inferiority to the control group, its results were numerically inferior.
30
Table of Contents
Further, while ‘limus-based DES consistently outperformed paclitaxel DES as described above, Selution DCB’s 13.2% TLF rate in single-layer ISR were equivalent to the AGENT DCB results. The SELUTION4ISR and AGENT studies involved significantly different rates of double-layer stent ISR, making comparisons of overall performance difficult.
Overall, we believe Virtue SAB’s performance in the SABRE study described below, particularly in the single-layer ISR per protocol population, reflects a promising opportunity for Virtue SAB in coronary artery treatment. However, please note that the AGENT study, the SELUTION4ISR study and the SABRE study are three separate studies conducted at different times and are not head-to-head comparisons of these therapies. Thus, the results of these studies may not be comparable.
1Yeh RW, Shlofmitz R, Moses J, et al. JAMA. 2024;331(12):1015–1024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.136.
2Moses, J Two-Year Outcomes from the AGENT IDE Trial CRT 2025.
3Boston Scientific AGENT DCB Brochure 2017.
Definitions: Plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA), Standard of care (SOC), late lumen loss (LLL)
1Cutlip et al. SELUTION4ISR Clinical Trial TCT 2025.
31
Table of Contents
Targeted Unmet Needs and Market Opportunity for Virtue SAB
We believe significant unmet needs remain in certain artery disease indications where treatment options are limited or fail to adequately improve patient outcomes, including ISR, SV, high bleeding risk patients undergoing percutaneous revascularization and BTK. We estimate these indications currently represent a total addressable global market opportunity of approximately 5.0 million treatable artery disease lesions.Further, based on estimated regional average selling prices, we believe the current aggregate annual global market opportunity for Virtue SAB is at least $10 billion. The bullets below outline key potential market opportunities, including their relative size and scope, for Virtue SAB.
32
Table of Contents
The above estimates are based on, among other factors, our engagement with an established market research firm to conduct market analysis of the Virtue SAB global opportunity. This third party employed primary and secondary data gathering and analysis methods. Primary analysis involved multiple Q&A calls with industry-leading key opinion leaders to help assess the addressable patient population and the most addressable patient segments. Secondary data analysis was conducted by mining numerous subscription-based market databases, Medicare data and published literature. After gathering initial disease prevalence data, both we and the third party spent extensive time collaborating on further delineating potential procedure volumes for coronary ISR, coronary SV disease, and BTK peripheral disease that can be addressed by Virtue SAB, taking into consideration patient treatment pathways, anticipated product benefits, competitive landscape and reimbursement. The market size calculations accounted for patients with high bleeding risk, which overlaps with all three target indications, and we believe will be an important driver of adoption. Our above estimate of 5.0 million treatable artery disease lesions is based on third-party data, combined with our knowledge of market dynamics and anticipated product differentiation.
Average selling price estimates were calculated by country or region based on existing competitive device prices, as well as estimated future pricing for Virtue SAB and future competitive devices. Reimbursement policies and coverage determinations for medical technologies are subject to evolving regulatory and market dynamics. The recent FDA approval and commercialization of BSC’s AGENT may establish a clearer reimbursement pathway for DCBs, potentially benefiting our future market access strategy. As payors define coverage policies, coding, and payment rates for AGENT, we may benefit from an established precedent and streamline our engagement with Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers, facilitating broader and more predictable coverage upon regulatory approval. Additionally, the adoption of a reimbursement framework for AGENT may expedite decision-making among payors, potentially leading to more favorable reimbursement terms for similar technologies, like Virtue SAB. While the evolving landscape presents opportunities, reimbursement determinations remain subject to various factors, including clinical differentiation, cost-effectiveness assessments, and provider adoption. We will continue to monitor and engage with key stakeholders to ensure alignment with emerging reimbursement policies that could enhance market access for Virtue SAB.
Impact Potential of Virtue SAB
Virtue SAB is a proprietary drug-device combination product designed to deliver a large liquid dose of extended focal release SirolimusEFR during angioplasty for the treatment of atherosclerosis and prevention of restenosis. The patented Virtue SAB is specifically designed to perform angioplasty, a well-established interventional procedure where high-pressure balloon inflation mechanically re-opens a clogged artery. It also simultaneously enables protected delivery and extended focal release of therapeutic levels of proven sirolimus over the critical healing period following angioplasty, which we believe could revolutionize intra-procedural arterial drug delivery by leaving nothing permanent behind in the artery. While Virtue SAB is designed to achieve certain results as described above and below, there is no guarantee that Virtue SAB will prove to be safe and effective. Virtue SAB is designed to overcome the limitations of drug-coated balloons by:
• Delivering the intended dose of sirolimus consistently
33
Table of Contents
1Granada et al. EuroIntervention 2016;12:740-747.
2 Animals included in the analysis of distant organs received average dose of 20.4 mg ≈10X the largest clinical dose
The differentiated design of Virtue SAB was made possible by combining two key technologies:
• Enable high-pressure angioplasty to dilate artery, restoring blood flow;
• Deliver SirolimusEFR simultaneously with angioplasty; and
• Leave no permanent implant behind.
• Protection of sirolimus from rapid degradation;
34
Table of Contents
Virtue SAB System Components and Deployment
The Virtue SAB product candidate is under development to be provided in two packages:
35
Table of Contents
Since Virtue SAB is designed to work primarily as a balloon angioplasty catheter, the device most commonly used by interventional cardiologists, we believe it should be relatively easy for physicians to learn, adopt and use the device. The additional steps we expect will be required to reconstitute SirolimusEFR are straightforward and familiar to nurses and technicians. Following the standard preparation of the vessel and after identifying the appropriate balloon size, Virtue SAB is designed to be deployed in three easy steps:
1. Reconstitute the formulation and set dose
2. Prime the catheter
3. Position AngioInfusion Balloon and inflate
36
Table of Contents
Preclinical Data
We have conducted extensive preclinical testing of Virtue SAB and its key enabling technologies (SirolimusEFR and the AngioInfusion Balloon), including feasibility work as well as Good Laboratory Practice (“GLP”) studies in support of regulatory filings and approvals. This work includes a variety of benchtop as well as small and large animal models. Large animal studies have been conducted in a porcine animal model, a widely used model for testing interventional cardiovascular devices. A particularly important series of preclinical studies involving 130 pigs and over 750 distinct artery treatment sites showed that Virtue SAB provided extended focal release of therapeutic levels of sirolimus through the critical healing period of approximately four weeks. The data from these preclinical studies was published in the peer-reviewed EuroIntervention Journal in 2016 and showed that Virtue SAB successfully delivered and enabled long-term focal delivery at the treatment site of a therapeutic sirolimus dose (above the 1ng of drug per mg of tissue). This therapeutic dose level has been clinically proven using DES to be safe and efficacious at reducing restenosis during the critical healing period of approximately 30 days post-procedure. These preclinical studies also showed very low systemic concentrations in cardiac tissue as well as critical organs, such as lungs, liver and kidneys, and did not show any adverse local or systemic effects.
In March 2024, we shared preclinical pharmacokinetic (“PK”) data demonstrating that SostenocelTM, the proprietary polymer system enabling Virtue SAB’s SirolimusEFR, was shown to be eliminated in SirolimusEFR-treated stented arteries without detectable degradation. In other polymer-based delivery systems, degradation prior to elimination is associated with adverse events, such as the development of localized tissue inflammation. Specifically, the presented PK data showed that Sostenocel was undetectable at 90 days in treated arteries and at 3 days in all non-target tissues, and the molecular weight of Sostenocel remained unchanged prior to elimination, showing no evidence of in-vivo degradation. This is achievable through the focal uptake extended release of Sostenocel technology.
37
Table of Contents
Clinical Results
SABRE Study Results
The SABRE, or Sirolimus AngioInfusion Balloon for Coronary In-Stent Restenosis, first-in-human clinical study was initiated in November 2013 by Caliber Therapeutics, Inc., which is now our subsidiary. SABRE was a prospective, 50-patient feasibility study at nine European centers (Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark and Latvia), following patients for three years after Virtue SAB treatment, including angiographic follow-up at six months and clinical follow-up at one, two and three years.
Twelve-month follow-up data from the SABRE study, published in JACC Intervention in October 2017, demonstrated the clinical study performance of Virtue SAB in what we believe was a very challenging patient population with predominantly long, diffuse restenotic lesions within stents that had been implanted, on average, nearly four years prior to the study enrollment.
Clinicians in the study reported a 100% procedural success rate on a per patient basis (which was defined as the ability to successfully deliver and deploy the device at the lesion site) with Virtue SAB, suggesting the ease of use of the system. The primary safety endpoint was TLF at 30 days. TLF is commonly defined as a combination of MACE, which include cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction, as well as clinically (symptom) driven target lesion revascularization. The primary performance endpoint was six-month in-segment LLL, measured as the difference in the vessel lumen diameter immediately after the procedure compared to the follow-up at six months.
38
Table of Contents
Revised Per-Protocol Population
A revised per-protocol population was determined based on analysis of procedural data by an independent core lab. This analysis identified 14 cases out of the 50 patients treated in the SABRE study that represented serious violations of the established inclusion and exclusion criteria of the protocol for the study. Eight cases were excluded due to excessive proximity to the aorta or major side branches. Three cases were excluded due to treatment of lesions that were longer than the available Virtue SAB devices were designed to treat or because there were multiple lesions in the vessel where there was a target lesion. Finally, three cases were excluded due to double-layer stent ISR where Virtue SAB was used to treat to previously stented restenosis (i.e., the lesion already had two overlapping treatment stents). The remaining 36 patients with single-layer ISR are referred to herein as the revised per-protocol, population.
Virtue SAB met the primary performance endpoint of the SABRE study with Virtue SAB demonstrating six-month in-segment LLL was 0.12 mm, a positive result as compared to the study target of 0.43 mm. Virtue SAB met the primary safety endpoint with zero reported TLFs at 30 days. The secondary performance endpoint of binary restenosis was also met with Virtue SAB achieving a rate of 2.8%. Revised per-protocol analysis showed a low 2.8% rate of TLF at one-year follow-up and 5.6% at three-year follow-up. The increase in TLF after one year was because of the death of one study patient which was reported as multiple organ failure non-cardiac death and adjudicated as non-device and non-procedure related. Over the entire three-year period of the SABRE study, a total of 66 SAEs occurred in 32 of the 50 study patients (64.0%). A total of 29 SAEs in 18 patients were cardiac-related, of which:
A total of 37 SAEs in 25 patients were non-cardiac-related, none of them were adjudicated as “highly probable,” “probable,” or “possible” related to either the device treatment procedure or the investigational device. A total of eleven patients had both cardiac- and non-cardiac-related SAEs.
Intent to Treat Population
The intent-to-treat (“ITT”) population included all the patients enrolled in the study including those treated despite a significant protocol violation as noted above. The ITT analysis of the SABRE study demonstrated 0% MACE and TLF in hospital or at 30 days follow-up, 10.2% MACE and 8.2% TLF at six months, and 16.3% MACE and 14.3% TLF through three-year follow-up. LLL results were 0.31 mm at six months. We believe these results were encouraging given that the ITT population had a high percentage of difficult-to-treat diffuse lesions as well as lesions with an average time since original stent implantation of nearly four years which is substantially longer than typical ISR, which is most likely to occur 3 to 12 months after stenting.
39
Table of Contents
Two-year and three-year clinical follow-up results from the SABRE study were presented at the TCT conference in 2017 and 2018, respectively. We believe the angiographic and clinical results of the SABRE trial are encouraging and provide the basis for it to conduct the upcoming Virtue ISR-US pivotal clinical study in coronary ISR. The diagrams below summarize the clinical results from this study.
Angiograms of Virtue SAB in Patients
The below images were best matched pairs of baseline and six-month follow-up angiograms identified and are included for illustrative purposes only to show the outcome of Virtue SAB administration in successfully treated patients. The images below are not intended to be representative of all the patients treated in the study and their respective outcomes.
Patient 1 (06-03): Patient presented with an 11.54 mm lesion in the mid-left circumflex artery. Lesion was previously treated with a BMS. The patient’s lesion was pre-dilated (a standard practice in drug-eluting balloon procedures) with a non-compliant balloon (a balloon that expands to one specific size independent of internal pressures commonly used to expand clogged arteries) and was treated with a 3.5 mm x 15 mm Virtue SAB. The patient had an excellent post-procedure outcome which was maintained through angiographic follow-up at 193 days. The LLL was measured at -0.03 mm.
Patient 2 (11-03): Patient presented with a 17.8 mm diffuse lesion of mid-left arterior descending artery following implantation of a DES seven months prior. After pre-dilatation with a scoring balloon (capable of achieving greater pressures and commonly used to open long, diffuse lesion), the lesion was treated with 3.25mm x 25mm Virtue SAB. The patient had an excellent post-procedure outcome, which was maintained through angiographic follow-up (at 175 days). The LLL was measured at -0.16mm.
40
Table of Contents
The Virtue Trial, FDA Regulatory Status & Breakthrough Device
On April 29, 2025, we announced IDE approval from the FDA for the Virtue Trial, a pivotal trial to be conducted at up to 75 sites in the U.S. that is expected to randomize approximately 740 patients 1:1 to either treatment with Virtue SAB or Boston Scientific Corporation’s AGENTTM paclitaxel-coated balloon (currently the only drug-coated balloon approved in the U.S. for a coronary indication) with a primary efficacy and safety endpoint of statistical non-inferiority of target lesion failure (“TLF”) at 12 months post index treatment.
On October 27, 2025, we announced that we had initiated enrollment of patients for the Virtue Trial. We currently estimate completion of enrollment of the Virtue Trial in mid-2027; however, there is no assurance that our current operating plan will be achieved. To execute and support clinical activities for the Virtue Trial we plan to use (1) full-time employees as well as full- and part-time consultants to directly manage clinical studies and supervise external providers; (2) an external contact research organization (“CRO”), that serves as the authorized and legal representative of the study sponsor, submits study protocol for approval by clinical site review boards and ethics committees, and reports adverse events; and (3) an independent core lab and independent imaging analysis lab.
We currently anticipate using the Virtue Trial results to support regulatory approval for Virtue SAB for the treatment of coronary ISR. The FDA previously confirmed that Virtue SAB will be regulated as a combination product candidate, with the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health as the lead review center of a marketing application. In addition, Virtue SAB has been granted Breakthrough Device designation in:
SirolimusEFR — Additional Interventional Therapies Product Candidates and Development Initiatives
We believe we have a future opportunity to establish a pipeline of additional targeted therapeutic product candidates for development and licensing based on our proprietary SirolimusEFR formulation as well as, potentially, the microporous AngioInfusion balloon technology used in the Virtue SAB. SirolimusEFR is an investigational, extended focal release formulation of sirolimus, enabled by our proprietary Sostenocel technology. We believe the ability of its Sostenocel technology to enable localized, targeted delivery and extended tissue release of sirolimus offers the potential for new and impactful therapeutic applications of SirolimusEFR. Sirolimus, a pharmaceutical agent also known as rapamycin, is a macrolide compound that is used to treat artery disease (drug-eluting stents or drug-coated balloons), prevent organ transplant rejection, treat rare lung disease called lymphangioleiomyomatosis, and shown to be effective against various tumor types. In addition to these approved indications, sirolimus and its analogs have been studied for potential clinical benefit in a broad array of medical conditions.
Sirolimus and its analogs act to inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin, which regulates cellular metabolism, growth, and proliferation. Through its cystostatic mechanism of action, sirolimus prevents cell replication and proliferation while the drug is present in cells and tissues. Unlike cytotoxic agents such as paclitaxel, however, sirolimus does not kill the cells it affects, and these cells return to normal function once the drug is no longer present. This safer anti-proliferative mechanism makes sirolimus a valuable pharmaceutical agent to suppress undesirable immune system activity, which is why systemic use of high doses of sirolimus is the primary treatment to prevent rejection of transplanted organs. It also makes sirolimus useful as an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic agent, which is one of the primary reasons it was chosen as an anti-restenotic drug to coat on the surface of a permanent arterial stent. However, the therapeutics effects of sirolimus are limited by the amount of time sirolimus is present at a therapeutic concentration. The known half-life of sirolimus is short, approximately 62 hours. Sirolimus has an attractive safety profile and a wide therapeutic window which allows for relatively high dosing thresholds before risk of toxicity. However, using systemic delivery of the drug to achieve therapeutic effects in targeted tissues or organs requires regular systemic dosing, increasing the risk of off-target effects and toxicity.
41
Table of Contents
Our proprietary Sostenocel technology is designed to facilitate a localized tissue depot of sirolimus and enable extended focal release of sirolimus over typical critical healing period of approximately 30 days, potentially overcoming the challenges of sirolimus’ short half-life. While our Sostenocel technology is designed to achieve certain results as described above, there is no guarantee that it will prove to be safe and effective.
We believe we have a future opportunity to develop additional therapies using our proprietary SirolimusEFR to potentially treat focal inflammation outside of coronary and peripheral vascular indications. Further, we are currently working on all chemistry, manufacturing and controls (“CMC”) testing for our IDE submission for the combination product Virtue SAB that includes populating a drug master file (“DMF”). We believe this DMF will be helpful in supporting additional vascular regulatory indications for Virtue SAB as well as future potential non-vascular indications for SirolimusEFR, with or without our microporous angioinfusion balloon technology. Depending on the indication, we may be able to leverage some of the biocompatibility and CMC data in the DMF, while providing additional data depending on the indication selected. Leveraging CMC data in the DMF, as well as other preclinical, clinical and device testing work related to Virtue SAB, may allow us to advance development of additional SirolimusEFR-based product candidates at an accelerated pace and at reduced cost, although no assurances can be given that development will proceed faster or at lower expense than otherwise expected.
We are evaluating the use of SirolimusEFR through a balloon device treatment and delivery system similar to our AngioInfusion Balloon, through next generation non-balloon-based delivery systems or simply as a direct focal injection for treatment of additional indications associated with major medical conditions for which mature procedure-based markets already exist. We will seek to identify and initiate discussions with potential strategic partners when we believe sufficient data and evidence is available to support a potential business collaboration.
Our Future Growth Strategy
Our growth strategy is primarily focused on the execution of key development initiatives and partnership opportunities within our existing product pipeline, with the objective to advance these product candidates to key value inflection points and to form strategic partnerships for commercial value realization. This includes advancing clinical study activities for our flagship product candidates, as well as moving earlier stage product candidates further into clinical development. In the future, we may look to potentially expand our pipeline through collaborations or spinouts with corporate partners, targeted acquisitions that are made in parallel to forming strategic collaborations, royalty-based research and development partnerships, as well as highly selective organic development or intellectual property licensing.
We carefully screen new opportunities utilizing our focused innovation selection criteria to ensure a fit with our partnership-enabled business model.
42
Table of Contents
Our Team and Innovation History
We are led by a highly accomplished, multidisciplinary management team with extensive experience and strong expertise in all phases of therapeutic product development. Our senior management team, including the vice president-level and above, has over 300 years of combined experience, with an average tenure of 25 plus years in the development and commercialization of procedure-based innovations for major clinical indications. Our team’s expertise includes clinical need and market analysis, product design and intellectual property prosecution, clinical and regulatory execution, as well as supply chain and quality system development. Members of our senior management team have been personally involved in the development and regulatory approval or clearance of over 100 products and have helped author over 600 patent applications. Our executive team is guided by a seasoned and highly accomplished board of directors with knowledge and experience in the healthcare industry, including medical devices, biotechnology and clinical medicine, as well as business operations, strategy, finance and capital markets. Further, our product development efforts are supported by world-renowned medical advisors who are physicians and scientists recognized for their knowledge of specific disease states and treatment options available, as well as their ability to quickly assess new technologies for clinical feasibility and likelihood of adoption.
All the product candidates in our pipeline were conceived and developed by our management team and employees through predecessor companies founded by a medical device accelerator, Accelerated Technologies, Inc. (“ATI”). ATI was originally founded in 2000 and employed active collaboration with industry-leading physicians to identify and purpose-build transformational therapeutic devices. Our founders and senior executives, Mr. David Hochman, our Chief Executive Officer, and Mr. Darren Sherman, our President and Chief Operating Officer, joined ATI in 2006 and 2008, respectively. Prior to their joining, ATI was associated with the development of approved devices such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (Percutaneous Valve Technologies, Inc., which was acquired by Edwards Lifesciences Corp. in 2003) and catheter-based temporary ventricular support (Impella CardioSystems AG, which was acquired by ABIOMED, Inc. in 2005). Mr. Hochman and Mr. Sherman assumed control of ATI in 2009 and proceeded to found new companies that developed Virtue SAB (Caliber Therapeutics), AVIM Therapy (BackBeat Medical), and the FreeHold Duo and Trio Retractors (FreeHold Surgical). Orchestra BioMed, Inc.’s business was formed in May 2018 upon the merger of these three entities and a concurrent recapitalization. ATI was subsequently acquired by Orchestra BioMed, Inc. in December 2019.
Our Strategic Holdings
We own outright or maintain ownership of minority equity interests, convertible debt and/or royalty-stream interests in additional therapeutic device assets currently undergoing early-stage commercialization and further product development that we believe have growth and value appreciation potential. Our objective is to create and realize additional stockholder value through ownership in innovative therapeutic product solutions in core, adjacent and synergistic medical segments. Our strategic holdings include:
43
Table of Contents
• Improve Patient Care
• Avoid trauma associated with the use of Nathanson-type retractors
• Enable Full Surgeon Autonomy
• Surgeon controls positioning and adjustment of retractor;
• Once positioned, surgeon has full use of both hands to perform surgery; and
• No coordination with circulator required
• Optimize Visualization
• Easily adjustable throughout the procedure for sustained visibility; and
• Low profile design minimizes procedural clutter and collisions
Targeted Commercialization — We estimate over 20,000 procedures using FreeHold devices have been performed in the United States to date, primarily in bariatric (obesity) and foregut (GI, metabolic) surgeries with some initial experience in paraaortic node dissections (gynecologic oncology), nephrectomies (kidney removal) and cholecystectomies (gallbladder removal). FreeHold’s targeted commercial development program involves only two dedicated sales representatives targeting hospitals in the United States to demonstrate clinical utility and commercial demand for FreeHold Devices.
Strategic Potential — We believe FreeHold devices have been optimized for strategic partnership because they are highly differentiated, enabling products that fit into the current treatment paradigms, are easy to use with a relatively short learning curve and have sufficiently high profit margins that provide potential for partnering to enable a revenue sharing arrangement.
Formation and Conversion to a Limited Liability Company — In May 2018, Orchestra BioMed, Inc. completed its acquisition of FreeHold Surgical, Inc., a Delaware corporation that has, among other things, the rights to our FreeHold Devices. FreeHold Surgical, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in May 2010 and began development of its hands-free, intracorporeal retractors for minimally invasive surgery in 2012. In December 2019, Orchestra BioMed, Inc. converted FreeHold Surgical, Inc., a Delaware corporation, to FreeHold Surgical, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. References in this annual report to FreeHold refer to FreeHold Surgical, Inc. prior to its conversion to a limited liability company and to FreeHold Surgical, LLC after its conversion to a limited liability company, as applicable.
44
Table of Contents
Market Opportunity & Commercial Experience — We estimate that there are approximately 1.5 million inpatient colonoscopy procedures that were performed in the U.S. and approximately 4.8 million worldwide annually, based on our analysis of market data and projections from iData Research Inc. Upper GI bleeds occurred in the U.S. at a rate of approximately 400,000 cases per year in 2019, according to iData Research Inc. The Pure-Vu System has been assigned an ICD-10 reimbursement classification code in the U.S., and we believe the clinical and health economic benefits offered by the Pure-Vu System make its use financially supportable under existing reimbursement payments for inpatient procedures. The Pure-Vu System does not currently have unique or dedicated reimbursement codes for specific additional reimbursement with any private or governmental third-party payors in any other country or for any other use; however, we may pursue reimbursement activities in the future. The Pure-Vu® System is designed to reduce the time required to complete colonoscopy procedures, which may make it attractive to closed healthcare systems, such as the Veterans Affairs hospital system (“VA”), that are insured by their constituents and bear the cost burden of lengthened hospital stays due to colonoscopy preparation. The Pure-Vu System is designed to reduce hospital stays through more efficient colonoscopy procedures, potentially saving money and expediting care. Additionally, VA patients may have increased complications with colonoscopy preparation due to the co-morbidities that veterans can experience. Thus, the potential clinical benefit to VA patients of the Pure-Vu product may be important as well, as the system is designed to remove debris and enhance the field of view during a colonoscopy procedure in the event the pre-procedure preparation was not optimal. The Pure-Vu System is currently in pilot commercial use in 8 hospitals in the U.S., including two VA hospitals. We anticipate increasing Pure-Vu System pilot use to approximately 20 U.S. hospitals in 2025, with a particular focus on the VA where we anticipate conducting structured clinical evaluations aimed at supporting broader VA system adoption. We also expect to obtain CE Mark approval for the next generation of the system with both the upper and lower indication and introduce the system to a few select hospitals in the EU and Israel.
Strategic Potential — We believe use of the Pure-Vu® System has the potential to help achieve better clinical outcomes and lower costs for hospitals by safely and quickly improving visualization of the colon and upper GI tract, potentially enabling effective diagnosis and treatment without delay. In multiple clinical studies to date, involving the treatment of challenging inpatient and outpatient cases, the Pure-Vu® System has consistently helped achieve adequate bowel cleanliness rates greater than 95% for inpatients and outpatients following a reduced prep regimen. We also believe that the technology may be useful in the future as a tool to help reduce user dependency on conventional pre-procedural bowel prep regimens and enhance the treatment of acute upper GI bleeding. We believe the Pure-Vu System is potentially attractive for strategic partnership because it is a proprietary enabling technology that addresses significant unmet needs in a large established global market, its usage fits into current treatment paradigms and is easy enough to use with a relatively short learning curve, and its disposable component has sufficiently high profit margins that provide potential for partnering to enable a revenue sharing arrangement.
Acquisition of Motus Entities — In October 2024, we entered a Share and Membership Interest Purchase Agreement with the previously publicly traded company, Motus GI Holdings, Inc. and its lender, Kreos Capital VI, LP. to acquire the Motus Entities for the rights to the intellectual property of the Pure-Vu® System.
Our Research and Development
We invest in research and development efforts that advance and expand our product pipeline. Our goals are to: (1) deliver on clinical, regulatory and commercial development objectives for Virtue SAB; (2) deliver on clinical, regulatory and commercial development objectives for AVIM Therapy set forth in collaboration with our strategic partner, Medtronic; and (3) further develop pipeline product candidates towards future partnerships with potential strategic partners. Our research and development expenses totaled $58.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 and $42.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.
45
Table of Contents
We believe our ability to rapidly develop innovative product candidates is attributable to the dynamic product innovation process that we have implemented, the versatility and leveragability of our core technologies and our partnership-enabled business model that drives our innovation objectives and research and development process. We have recruited and retained engineers and scientists with significant experience in the development of medical devices. We have a pipeline of product candidates in various stages of development that are expected to provide additional strategic opportunities. Our research and development efforts are based at our facilities in New Hope, Pennsylvania and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Our Manufacturing and Supply
Bioelectronic Therapies (AVIM Therapy and CNT-HF)
Our wholly owned subsidiary, BackBeat Medical previously contracted with a business unit of Integer under an agreement (the “Integer Agreement”) to develop and manufacture the Moderato device. The Moderato device consists of an IPG powered by a primary battery, a programming system integrated by a programmer interface, a telemetry wand and a software application capable of programming standard pacing functions as well as the different parameters of AVIM Therapy. All intellectual property that Integer developed for BackBeat Medical during the performance of the Integer Agreement, whether developed independently or jointly, and that resulted from or uses BackBeat Medical’s technology or intellectual property are owned by BackBeat Medical. Under the Integer Agreement, Integer provided BackBeat Medical a perpetual, royalty-free, fully paid, assignable, world-wide, non-exclusive license for the device-incorporated Integer property, allowing the use of the incorporated Integer property only within BackBeat Medical’s field of use (electrical therapies, particularly cardiac pacing for (i) treatment of HTN and (ii) rhythm management in patients that were implanted with a device for the treatment of HTN). We also utilize the services of external consultancy firms for quality and regulatory services related to Moderato devices to supplement its internal capabilities. As of the date of this filing, we do not anticipate receiving any new Moderato devices under the Integer Agreement.
Medtronic has completed integration and associated validation and verification testing of AVIM Therapy algorithms as a field downloadable addition to its premium, commercially available dual-chamber pacemaker systems for use in the BACKBEAT study. Medtronic is also providing clinical and regulatory resources in support of the pivotal study. We are reimbursing Medtronic at cost for these development, clinical and regulatory resources. Medtronic will integrate AVIM Therapy, at our cost, as a firmware component of a premium pacemaker for potential regulatory approval and commercialization of AVIM-enabled commercial devices following a successful outcome of the BACKBEAT study.
In February 2023, we also contracted with MEDICO S.R.L. to develop a dual chamber pacemaker device that meets our specifications for running our cardiac neuromodulation therapies as well as standard pacing algorithms. This new device platform is designed to allow us to conduct CNT program studies for potential expanded indications and populations, including certain heart failure patients. Initial devices have been delivered, and we are actively engaging centers with a new protocol to conduct clinical evaluations which commenced in 2025.
Interventional Therapies (Virtue SAB, SirolimusEFR and Sostenocel)
Microporous AngioInfusion Balloon and other device components of Virtue SABs
Currently, we manage the supply chain, and these devices are manufactured by a selected group of third parties contracted by us. All of Virtue SAB’s key suppliers and vendors carry the proper quality system certification and/or FDA approvals for the activity they are providing in support of the manufacturing, testing, storage and distribution of components, materials, services or final product.
46
Table of Contents
SirolimusEFR