BIO-PACE

In Europe, around 480,000 electronic pacemakers are implanted annually (1M globally). Their primary role is palliative, serving as back-up pacemaker in case disease has caused the native cardiac pacemaker (sinoatrial node, SAN) to malfunction, thereby leading to pathological slow heart rate (bradycardia). Electronic pacemakers are implanted in surgical procedures, 5% of which are associated with significant complications, requiring additional surgery or other invasive treatments. In addition, electronic pacemakers have drawbacks inherent to their design, such as a finite battery-life (requiring surgical replacement every 5-8 years), poor response to metabolic demand (limiting the patient’s ability to perform physical activity), and a non-physiological implantation site (leading to adverse cardiac remodeling and heart failure). Clearly, a true cure for bradycardia rather than a palliative measure is needed. PacingCure is convinced that biological pacemakers utilizing virus-based gene therapy is the way forward to circumvent the issues and complications associated with electronic pacemakers.