What SymPhysis Medical does

SymPhysis Medical is an Ireland-based, privately held medical device company developing the releaze Drainage System, an indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) designed to treat malignant pleural effusion (MPE) in late-stage cancer patients (lung, breast, mesothelioma, and lymphoma). The system is built around a port-style access mechanism that eliminates the need for tunnelling procedures, a novel anchoring system, and one-touch single-handed drainage activation intended to enable independent home use without assistance from family members or clinicians. A smart/digital-enabled variant adds sensors for automated recording of drainage volumes, paired with the My Drain Diary mobile app for remote patient monitoring. Two patents have been filed on the core catheter and anchoring technology.

The company is pre-commercial and currently generating no product revenue. Regulatory strategy targets FDA technical file submission in Q3 2026 with clearance expected by end of 2026, alongside planned CE marking for Europe. Manufacturing is contracted to Phillips Medisize in Letterkenny, Ireland. The commercial model is direct enterprise sales to hospital systems and cancer care centers, with MD Anderson Cancer Center and Mayo Clinic identified as the intended first-treatment sites post-FDA clearance. Operations are headquartered in Galway at the ATU Innovation Hubs, with a US presence being established in Rhode Island, supported by a $1.25 million grant from the Rhode Island Life Science Hub.

SymPhysis Medical is venture-backed and has cumulatively raised approximately €7.6 million (≈€5.6M equity plus €2M in grants including DTIF) since 2019, with investors including Irrus Investments, MedTech Syndicate, Boole Investments, Enterprise Ireland, and the Rhode Island Life Science Hub. R&D and product development are conducted through a DTIF consortium with Gentian Services, Smart Sensors Lab, and Galway University Hospitals. Leadership comprises co-founders Tim Jones (CEO) and Dr. Michelle Tierney (CSO), VP of Sales & Marketing Joe Villanova (ex-Baxter Healthcare and Becton Dickinson), a board chaired by Barry McBride, and clinical advisors including Dr. David Breen at Galway University Hospitals and Dr. Horiana Grosu at MD Anderson.

Name

SymPhysis Medical

Legal name

SymPhysis Medical

Website

https://symphysismedical.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device - Pleural Drainage

NAICS

Diagnostic Imaging Centers (621512)

SIC

Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical-Grade Device Connectivity & Device Management (MDM) (HLACAFAG)

Keywords

• Pleural effusion drainage
• Indwelling pleural catheter
• Malignant pleural effusion
• Medical device development
• Port-style catheter system

Headquarters

HQ city

Galway

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Releaze Drainage System Sales: The company plans to generate revenue through sales of its releaze Drainage System for malignant pleural effusion treatment. The device is not yet commercially available - seeking FDA clearance and CE marking for US and European market entry.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SymPhysis Medical is developing the releaze™ Drainage System, a port-style indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) designed to treat malignant pleural effusion (MPE) in late-stage cancer patients. The device uses a novel port-like access mechanism with a proprietary anchoring system and one-touch activation, enabling patients to perform single-handed home drainage independently without relying on family members or healthcare professionals. A planned smart/digital-enabled variant integrates sensors and a companion mobile app (My Drain Diary) for automated volume recording and remote clinician monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Releaze (rel**eaze**™): The Releaze Drainage System is the company's primary medical device product - a drainage technology designed to treat malignant pleural effusion (MPE) in late-stage cancer patients. Features a novel 'port' style indwelling pleural catheter with one-touch activation for independent home drainage.
• My Drain Diary

Products and services

• releaze™ Drainage System Port-style indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) designed to treat malignant pleural effusion (MPE) in late-stage cancer patients, featuring a novel anchoring mechanism, single-incision placement, and one-touch activation for independent home drainage.
• My Drain Diary Mobile Application Mobile application that allows users to manage health and wellness related to drainage procedures, including tracking symptoms, drainage volumes, and health-related inputs for remote patient monitoring with the smart variant of the releaze system.

Quantifiable outcome

• MPE affects up to 50% of late-stage cancer patients with nearly 200,000 new cases per year in the USA
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MD Anderson Cancer CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing FDA approval, SymPhysis Medical aims to be treating first patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Dr. Horiana Grosu of MD Anderson highlighted the device's user-friendly design and potential to offer greater patient independence. Partnership developed over years of collaboration.
• Mayo CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing FDA approval, SymPhysis Medical aims to be treating first patients at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. These partnerships will help demonstrate releaze's effectiveness and collect clinical data for broader adoption.
• Phillips MedisizecoreOthersContract manufacturer for releaze device. Manufactures the device in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland.
• Gentian ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of DTIF consortium (€1.83m funding from Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund). Design and manufacturing company with expertise in medical device product development, operating in ISO 13485 certified and FDA compliant environment.
• Smart Sensors LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of DTIF consortium developing sensor technology for smart drainage catheter. Multidisciplinary research laboratory focused on innovative and translational research in medical sensing technologies.
• Galway University Hospitals (GUH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of DTIF consortium. Designated supra regional centre for cancer and cardiac services. Dr. David Breen, Respiratory Consultant and Lead Clinician in Lung Cancer Services, has been clinical advisor to SymPhysis Medical co-founders for over three years.
• National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduct testing and usability studies conducted at NICA's state-of-the-art Insights Suite in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK. Conducted prototype testing on participants and gathered candid feedback on device design and usability. Received Best Collaboration in MedTech Award for this partnership.
• Dr. Conor JudgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellcome Trust-Health Research Board ICAT Fellow and Nephrology Specialist Registrar. Collaboration to investigate commercial feasibility of innovative peritoneal dialysis catheter anchoring system. Awarded €15,000 Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Feasibility Fund.
• Dr. David BreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRespiratory Consultant from University Hospital Galway who has been clinical advisor to SymPhysis Medical for a number of years. Provided testimony at Galway investor roadshow event.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AngioDynamics: Markets drainage and vascular access catheters, including products used in pleural/abdominal fluid management. Comparable single-use, hospital-procured disposable model with overlapping oncology patient base.
• Baxter International: Diversified medtech with hospital fluid management and surgical products; SymPhysis's VP of Sales previously led at Baxter. Large incumbent with overlapping hospital channels for fluid management devices.
• Atrium Medical Corporation (Getinge): Getinge's Atrium business manufactures thoracic drainage products including chest drains used in pleural effusion procedures. Comparable procedural devices with similar end-user clinicians.
• Smiths Medical (ICU Medical): Portfolio includes Portex thoracic drainage and airway products. Operates in the same hospital procedural call point as SymPhysis, with broader respiratory and critical-care device breadth.
• Merit Medical Systems: Manufacturer of drainage catheters and procedural devices used across interventional radiology and thoracic procedures. Overlapping customer base and procedural use cases with releaze.
• Teleflex: Diversified medical device company with thoracic drainage and chest drain product lines used in pleural effusion management. A broader incumbent with overlapping procedural footprint in hospitals, but not IPC-specialized.

Others

• AbbVie (peritoneal dialysis franchise via CareFusion legacy): Adjacent chronic fluid-management therapy franchise via peritoneal dialysis (Dianeal/Extraneal) and supporting catheter technologies. Relevant as a future expansion adjacency SymPhysis is exploring through its PD catheter anchoring collaboration.

Direct peers

• Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD): BD manufactures and markets the PleurX indwelling pleural catheter system, the dominant incumbent in the MPE drainage category SymPhysis targets. PleurX is the direct competitive benchmark for releaze in procedure, hospital adoption, and reimbursement.
• Rocket Medical: UK-based maker of thoracic and pleural drainage devices, including indwelling pleural catheters and chest drains. Closely comparable product portfolio and clinical end-users (respiratory physicians, thoracic surgeons, oncology centers).

Emerging players

• ConvaTec: Focused on ostomy, wound, and continence care with catheter-adjacent product lines and chronic-care patient relationships. Comparable home-use, patient-managed chronic-care positioning to releaze.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInie.linkedin.com/company/symphysis-medical
• Xx.com/SymphysisMed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SymPhysis Medical