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Race to deliver therapies directly to the heart

Race to deliver therapies directly to the heart

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By Newzino Staff |

BioCardia seeks first FDA-approved catheter for injecting cell and gene therapies into heart muscle

February 10th, 2026: FDA Pre-Submission Filed for Helix Catheter

Overview

For two decades, scientists have known how to grow cells and engineer genes that could repair damaged hearts. The problem has been getting those therapies to the right spot. On February 10, 2026, BioCardia filed for FDA approval of the Helix catheter—a device that threads through blood vessels to inject treatments directly into heart muscle. If approved, it would be the first system of its kind cleared for use in the United States.

The stakes extend far beyond one company. Heart failure kills more than 87,000 Americans annually and contributes to another 425,000 deaths. A reliable delivery system could unlock an entire generation of cardiac cell and gene therapies currently stuck in clinical trials, transforming treatments that show promise in labs into real options for patients with failing hearts.

Key Indicators

15
Clinical trials supporting approval
BioCardia's FDA submission includes safety and efficacy data from fifteen controlled studies
425,147
Annual U.S. deaths involving heart failure
Heart failure contributed to nearly half of all cardiovascular deaths in 2022
11%
Cell retention with intramyocardial delivery
Direct injection retains nearly four times more cells than intracoronary delivery
47%
Reduction in heart death equivalents
BioCardia's CardiAMP therapy showed this reduction in phase 3 trial results

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People Involved

Peter Altman
Peter Altman
President, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, BioCardia (Leading FDA approval effort)
Simon Stertzer
Simon Stertzer
Co-Founder, BioCardia (Founding contributor)

Organizations Involved

BioCardia, Inc.
BioCardia, Inc.
Biotechnology Company
Status: Seeking FDA approval for Helix catheter

BioCardia develops biotherapeutic delivery systems and cell therapies for cardiovascular disease, headquartered in San Carlos, California.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Federal Regulatory Agency
Status: Reviewing BioCardia Pre-Submission

The FDA regulates medical devices, drugs, and biologics in the United States, including cell and gene therapies for cardiac disease.

Biosense Webster
Biosense Webster
Medical Device Company (Johnson & Johnson)
Status: Competitor with NOGA/MyoStar system

Biosense Webster develops cardiac mapping and ablation technologies, including the MyoStar injection catheter used in early cell therapy research.

Timeline

  1. FDA Pre-Submission Filed for Helix Catheter

    Regulatory

    BioCardia files Pre-Submission with FDA seeking approval of Helix Transendocardial Delivery Catheter, supported by data from 15 clinical trials under Breakthrough Designation.

  2. Two-Year Trial Results Show 47% Reduction in Deaths

    Clinical Trial

    BioCardia announces two-year outcomes from Phase 3 CardiAMP-HF study showing 47% relative risk reduction in heart death equivalents and improved quality of life.

  3. Phase 3 Trial Completed

    Clinical Trial

    BioCardia completes Phase 3 randomized double-blind controlled trial of autologous cell therapy for ischemic heart failure with 115 patients across 18 centers.

  4. FDA Approves Protocol Amendment

    Regulatory

    FDA approves CardiAMP Heart Failure II protocol amendment to use proprietary cell population analysis screening to define treatment.

  5. Positive Interim Phase 3 Results

    Clinical Trial

    BioCardia reports positive interim results from CardiAMP-HF trial showing 86% relative risk reduction in heart death equivalents in patients with elevated biomarkers.

  6. BioCardia Goes Public

    Corporate

    BioCardia becomes a publicly traded company through a reverse merger with Tiger X Medical.

  7. Early Transendocardial Injection Studies

    Research

    First clinical studies using catheter-based transendocardial injection of skeletal myoblasts in heart failure patients demonstrate feasibility of the approach.

  8. BioCardia Founded

    Corporate

    Dr. Simon Stertzer and colleagues establish BioCardia in San Carlos, California, to develop biointerventional cardiology technologies.

Scenarios

1

FDA Approves First Cardiac Delivery Catheter, Unlocking New Therapies

Discussed by: BioCardia investor communications, regenerative medicine analysts at CGT Live and Cardiac Interventions Today

The FDA clears the Helix catheter within 12-18 months following Pre-Submission alignment. As the first approved transendocardial delivery system, it becomes the standard platform for delivering emerging cell and gene therapies to the heart, opening a new commercial market. Multiple pharmaceutical companies license the technology for their cardiac therapy pipelines.

2

FDA Requires Additional Clinical Data, Delaying Approval

Discussed by: Medical device regulatory consultants, FDA device approval process analysts

The FDA's Pre-Submission feedback identifies gaps in the existing clinical data, requiring BioCardia to conduct additional studies or provide supplementary safety analyses. This extends the timeline by 2-3 years but maintains the pathway to eventual approval. The company's limited cash position becomes a critical factor.

3

Competitor Reaches Market First with Alternative Delivery System

Discussed by: Cardiac device industry analysts, medical technology investors

Another company—potentially a larger player like Biosense Webster or a well-funded competitor—accelerates development of a competing transendocardial or alternative delivery system, reaching FDA approval before BioCardia. This would diminish Helix's first-mover advantage and compress its market opportunity.

4

Cardiac Gene Therapy Approval Creates Urgent Delivery Demand

Discussed by: Gene therapy developers, cardiology researchers at Circulation Research and Nature

One of the cardiac gene therapies currently in late-stage trials achieves FDA approval, creating immediate clinical need for a delivery mechanism. This external catalyst accelerates FDA review of the Helix catheter as an enabling technology, potentially through expedited review pathways.

Historical Context

First Autologous Stem Cell Heart Injection (2003)

June 2003

What Happened

French surgeon Philippe Menasché performed the first clinical injection of autologous skeletal myoblasts into human heart muscle using catheter-based delivery. Five patients with ischemic heart failure received cells via the MyoStar NOGA-guided catheter system. The procedure demonstrated feasibility but raised questions about arrhythmia risks.

Outcome

Short Term

The pilot study showed the approach was technically possible, with improvements in heart function observed at six-month follow-up.

Long Term

This pioneering work launched two decades of clinical trials exploring catheter-based cell delivery to the heart, establishing transendocardial injection as a viable approach despite ongoing safety refinements.

Why It's Relevant Today

BioCardia's Helix catheter represents the culmination of this 20+ year development arc—the first attempt to gain regulatory approval for a device category that has existed only in research settings.

Biosense Webster NOGA System Development (1997-2005)

1997-2005

What Happened

Biosense Webster developed the NOGA electromechanical mapping system with the MyoStar injection catheter, creating the first commercial platform for targeted intramyocardial injection. The system could construct three-dimensional heart maps and guide needle placement to specific regions of damaged tissue.

Outcome

Short Term

The technology enabled dozens of clinical trials investigating cell therapy for cardiac disease, establishing proof of concept for targeted delivery.

Long Term

While the NOGA/MyoStar system was never approved specifically as a therapy delivery device, it proved the technological foundation that BioCardia and others built upon.

Why It's Relevant Today

The Helix catheter is designed as a dedicated delivery system rather than a mapping tool with injection capability, representing a shift from research-focused devices to a commercial therapeutic platform.

REGENERATE Trials and Delivery Method Debate (2014-2022)

2014-2022

What Happened

The REGENERATE-IHD and REGENERATE-DCM trials directly compared intracoronary delivery (through coronary arteries) versus intramyocardial delivery (directly into heart muscle) in 60+ patients with chronic heart failure. Researchers sought to determine whether the technically simpler intracoronary approach could match the cell retention of direct injection.

Outcome

Short Term

Studies found intramyocardial injection retained about 11% of delivered cells versus 3% for intracoronary delivery—a significant difference for therapeutic efficacy.

Long Term

The data reinforced the clinical rationale for transendocardial delivery systems like Helix, demonstrating that the added procedural complexity produces meaningfully better cell retention.

Why It's Relevant Today

This body of evidence supports BioCardia's FDA application by showing that transendocardial delivery is not just one option among equals—it appears to be the superior approach for getting therapeutic cells where they need to go.

8 Sources:
+2
GlobeNewswire Investing.com Heart Failure Society of America Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research CGT Live BioCardia Journal of the American College of Cardiology GlobeNewswire