Sequana Medical has announced strong commercial US progress with implants of the alfapump System having been completed at five centres since launch in Q4 2025.
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One of the US liver transplant centres has completed its first two implantations, and both Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and University of Pennsylvania have also implanted multiple patients. In addition, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and University Medical Center (UMC) of Southern Nevada have each completed their first implantation. Reflecting the strong interest in alfapump therapy across the US, the Company is actively progressing the hospital approval process to complete implants at a further 20 leading institutions.
Sequana Medical is executing a US commercialisation strategy through its own specialty salesforce targeting the 90 US liver transplant centres that perform more than 90% of liver transplants. The alfapump is the first and only active implantable medical device approved in the US for treating recurrent or refractory ascites due to liver cirrhosis. The device automatically and continuously removes ascites fluid from the abdomen to the bladder, offering patients an alternative to paracentesis procedures.
Martijn Blom, chief commercial officer of Sequana Medical, said: “We are excited by the building commercial momentum for alfapump in the United States, including our latest expansion to one of the largest solid organ transplant centers in the US, as well as Dartmouth Hitchcock, New Hampshire’s only Level 1 trauma center and academic medical center and University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, which features Nevada’s only Level 1 trauma and transplant centers. This expansion further demonstrates the broadening interest in alfapump’s role in advancing treatment for recurrent or refractory liver ascites, and reflects the strong clinical need for improved care.”
Recurrent or refractory ascites is a severe condition characterized by the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. The current standard treatment involves therapeutic paracentesis, an invasive and burdensome procedure that drains ascites from the abdomen using a large needle. This procedure often needs to be repeated weekly or monthly, requiring frequent hospital visits and causing significant disruption to patients’ daily lives.
Ian Crosbie, chief executive officer of Sequana Medical, added: “The medical centers that have already implanted multiple patients with the alfapump demonstrate the benefits they see to their patients and how it fits into their clinical practice as well as the overall value delivered to the healthcare system in reducing hospital visits and enabling patients to focus on living rather than managing their condition. As we continue to engage with leading hospitals and advance our commercialisation strategy, we are thrilled to see the alfapump’s continued adoption by additional medical institutions to reach more patients across the US.”
Sequana Medical estimates there are more than 70,000 patients in the US with recurrent or refractory ascites, representing a market opportunity in excess of $2 billion for the alfapump, forecast to reach 130,000 patients and over $5 billion by 2035, primarily driven by MASH and alcoholic liver disease.