NinePoint Medical Inc. raised a $33 million Series A round to develop an in vivo pathology device the company hopes will eventually allow doctors to diagnose and treat cancerous cells during biopsy procedures.
NinePoint said its putting down roots in Cambridge, Mass., with plans to hire another 25 workers and eventually run a manufacturing facility there.
NinePoint is led by president and CEO Dr. Charles Carignan, formerly Boston Scientific Corp.’s (NYSE:BSX) chief medical officer. Carignan was also an executive vice president and CMO at Novasys Medical Inc., which makes the Renessa urinary incontinence treatment for women. Carignan also put it stints at Conceptus Inc. (NSDQ:CPTS), where he led the team that developed the Essure female sterilization device.
NinePoint’s device is an in vivo platform designed to enable real-time review of advanced tissue images during biopsies and other procedures. The aim is to eventually allow gastroenterologists to diagnose and treat cancerous or otherwise suspicious cells during a single procedure.
"With the support and strategic guidance from our founders and advisors, we believe we can successfully develop and commercialize a groundbreaking portfolio of medical devices that may dramatically improve diagnostic and treatment options for patients and physicians," Carignan said in prepared remarks. "We also look forward to positively impacting the Boston-area economy with the creation of new jobs at our Cambridge facility as we focus on building out a dynamic team to achieve our goals."
The funding round was led by Third Rock Ventures, its first seeding and launch of a medical device maker, and Prospect Venture Partners, according to a press release.