Terumo Neuro to Acquire Arsenal Medical for NeoCast Liquid Embolic Technology
Terumo Neuro has signed an agreement to acquire Arsenal Medical, a MA-based, privately held, clinical-stage biomaterials company developing NeoCast, an investigational next-generation liquid embolic technology for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma. Upon completion, the proposed acquisition would expand Terumo Neuro’s liquid embolic portfolio, advance its strategy to bring differentiated neurovascular technologies to physicians and patients, and support its continued focus on innovations to preserve and restore brain health. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and financial terms were not disclosed.
Chronic subdural hematoma is a significant and growing neurological condition, particularly among aging populations, and may cause cognitive decline and disability. It has been described as a potential cause of reversible dementia and can be associated with substantial mortality within one year. While surgical drainage remains a common treatment approach, recurrence after surgery continues to be a clinical challenge. Middle meningeal artery embolization has emerged as a promising adjunctive or alternative approach by targeting the vascular pathology believed to contribute to hematoma persistence and recurrence.
Arsenal Medical has developed NeoCast, a next-generation, solvent-free, non-adhesive biomaterial intended for embolization of the middle meningeal artery. It is engineered for controlled delivery and predictable distal penetration, without solvents or adhesives associated with many embolic devices. Arsenal Medical has advanced NeoCast through first-in-human clinical experience in cSDH and recently received FDA Investigational Device Exemption approval for RADIANT, a pivotal randomized, multicenter study evaluating NeoCast adjunctively with surgery for symptomatic subacute and chronic subdural hematoma, with the first patients already enrolled.
Final results from the EMBO-02 first-in-human study showed that NeoCast met its primary feasibility and safety endpoints, with 96% of subjects achieving at least 50% hematoma volume reduction and 75% achieving complete hematoma resolution at final follow-up. NeoCast is an investigational device and is not approved for commercial sale in the United States.
Carsten Schroeder, CEO of Terumo Neuro, said NeoCast represents a compelling opportunity to advance what could be a game-changing innovation in the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma. Schroeder noted that as MMA embolization emerges as an important new treatment option, this purpose-developed, next-generation liquid embolic technology has the potential to make a meaningful impact for physicians and patients while supporting the company’s mission to preserve and restore brain health, and that Terumo Neuro looks forward to combining its global neurovascular expertise with Arsenal Medical’s differentiated technology platform following the close of the transaction.
Upma Sharma, PhD, President and CEO of Arsenal Medical, said the company was founded on the idea that advanced materials can transform the way challenging medical conditions are treated, and NeoCast is a powerful example of that vision. Sharma noted that NeoCast was designed to provide physicians with controlled delivery and consistent distal penetration without solvents or adhesives, and that Terumo Neuro’s leadership in neurovascular innovation makes it the ideal organization to help realize the full potential of NeoCast through its next stage of development.
