Lepu Medical Completes Over RMB 100 Million in New Financing to Advance Three Key Therapeutic Areas and Launch Multiple Globally Innovative Medical Devices

VCBeat has learned that LeoMed, a developer and manufacturer of high-value medical consumables, recently announced the completion of a new round of financing exceeding RMB 100 million. The investment was led by Zhongjin Qichen Fund, under CICC Capital, and Sunland Capital. The funds from this round will be used for the clinical development of innovative peripheral vascular products and the marketing of high-value consumables for digestive endoscopy interventions.

Previously, LeoMed received investments from multiple renowned institutions, including Cowin Capital, IDG Capital, Ji Feng Capital, CITIC Securities, Kangjing Capital, and FreeS Fund.

According to available information, LeoMed was established in 2011 and is a high-tech enterprise with strategic layouts in three major fields: peripheral vascular intervention, digestive endoscopic intervention, and respiratory endoscopic intervention devices. Its product portfolio includes balloons for peripheral arterial and venous therapy, drug-coated balloons, stents, drug-eluting stents, and peripheral venous thrombectomy devices in the field of peripheral vascular intervention; a full range of ERCP and ESD series products in the field of high-value consumables for digestive endoscopic interventional therapy; and therapeutic devices for respiratory endoscopic intervention. The company achieved large-scale sales in 2020, filling a domestic gap in the field of peripheral vascular interventional therapy, and is also one of the leading enterprises in China’s digestive endoscopic interventional therapy sector.

Unlike many innovative companies in the medical device industry that focus on a single niche, LeoMed has established a presence across three major sectors. It is well known that the medical device industry comprises numerous sub-sectors, each characterized by high technical barriers. Why, then, has LeoMed adopted such a strategic layout? What underpins its confidence? By examining LeoMed’s technology platforms and strategic deployment, VCBeat has uncovered the “trump cards” behind its rapid rise.

Currently, LeoMed has established four technological platforms: metal stent technology, polymer technology for balloon catheters, drug-eluting technology, and active medical device technology. Leveraging these platforms, LeoMed is capable of independently researching and manufacturing all key components of its products.Furthermore, leveraging its medical-engineering integration model and technology platform, along with its innovative R&D capabilities, LeoMed has developed six world-first products.

It is worth mentioning thatLeoMed’s peripherally inserted arterial stent is the first domestically produced and currently the only peripheral arterial stent in China to have completed patient enrollment for a multicenter clinical trial. Dr. Zhang Zhongmin stated, “This stent was independently developed by LeoMed, with a comprehensive range of specifications and sizes, including lengths up to 200 mm. Once launched, this product will break the monopoly held by imported stents and realize domestic peripheralArtery“A Breakthrough with Zero Stents.”

In addition, the peripheral thrombectomy device developed by LeoMedDeviceTo address the challenge of peripheral thrombus removal, a globally pioneering unique design is employed. This approach eliminates the need for specialized equipment or thrombolytic agents, utilizing minimally invasive endovascular interventional techniques to remove acute and subacute deep vein thrombosis.This innovation facilitates the decentralization of peripheral thrombectomy procedures to primary care hospitals, significantly boosting their penetration rate.

Due to the rapid onset and narrow therapeutic window of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), patients must receive timely treatment at the nearest available medical facility. This is particularly critical for postoperative patients who are prone to DVT but are not candidates for catheter-directed thrombolysis.Peripheral thrombectomy devices that do not rely on specialized equipment or thrombolytic agents will penetrate deeper into the market,Addressing the urgent and local needs for deep vein thrombosis clearance to benefit more patients with peripheral vascular disease.

Dr. Zhang Zhongmin stated, “LeoMed strives to make surgical procedures more convenient for physicians, reduce patient suffering, and lower healthcare insurance costs, while also ensuring that Chinese medical devices make their own innovative voice heard on the global stage.” It is perhaps this very pursuit that has enabled LeoMed to consistently maintain its exceptional innovation capabilities.

Dr. Zhang Zhongmin stated: “Leveraging its technological platform, the company has established a strategic development path that spans multiple domains and scopes. Its product R&D is not confined to single products or individual technologies; instead, it integrates multidisciplinary knowledge and diverse technical categories, deploying a product portfolio based on concentric and horizontal development strategies.“For instance, LeoMed initially entered the field of digestive endoscopic interventions with its ERCP product line, comprehensively deployed ESD and EMR product lines through a concentric development strategy, and expanded into peripheral vascular interventions and respiratory endoscopic interventions via a horizontal development strategy.” All strategic layouts are grounded in providing comprehensive solutions for physicians. For procedures requiring multiple devices, such as ERCP and ESD, each product line is developed around offering a complete set of surgical instruments. Meanwhile, leveraging its technology platform, LeoMed can research, develop, and manufacture diverse products in related fields, thereby achieving innovation and breakthroughs.

Zhongjin Qichen Fund stated“Leveraging its extensive and industry-leading technology platform, LeoMed has continuously expanded its product pipeline. The company’s portfolio of certified consumables for minimally invasive surgeries under digestive endoscopy now forms a complete product line. Its peripheral intervention products demonstrate strong innovation and are at an advanced stage in the registration process. Meanwhile, LeoMed is actively expanding into the field of consumables for minimally invasive surgeries under respiratory endoscopy. The company’s R&D efforts are closely aligned with actual clinical needs, ensuring a robust product pipeline that supports sustainable growth. With capital support, LeoMed is well-positioned to seize opportunities from industry growth and import substitution, achieve business breakthroughs, and benefit a broad patient population.”

Gu Shenghan, Investment Director at Sunland Capital, stated: “LeoMed has strategically positioned itself in two high-growth niche sectors: high-value consumables for minimally invasive surgery and peripheral vascular interventional devices. The company has established itself as a top-tier domestic player in both fields, fully validating the founding team’s capabilities in strategic planning and execution. Notably, its peripheral artery stent product addresses a sector characterized by high technical barriers and a near absence of domestic brands. As the only domestically developed product to have completed enrollment in registered clinical trials, LeoMed is poised to break the monopoly held by imported brands upon market launch. Following this round of investment, Shanghai Sunland Investment Management Co., Ltd. will further leverage its industrial resource advantages to support the company’s next stage of development. By introducing more and better high-quality products, the company aims to provide innovative, domestically produced solutions for patients.”

Today, LeoMed has grown into a comprehensive platform company spanning three major medical fields and providing full-spectrum solutions for the treatment of various diseases.

In the field of peripheral vascular intervention, the total number of patients with peripheral artery disease and venous disease in China exceeds 100 million. In terms of the patient population base alone, there are 11 million patients with coronary heart disease, 13 million patients with stroke, and 8.9 million patients with heart failure in China.The Number of Patients with Peripheral Vascular Disease Is Several Times That of Other Diseases。The peripheral vascular intervention market, aligned with the patient population, will also enjoy broader growth potential.。China performs over one million percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures annually, with the total volume of neurointerventional procedures standing at approximately 400,000 to 500,000. Although peripheral intervention developed later, it is experiencing rapid growth, and its procedural volume is projected to soon rival that of PCI. This trend provides a strong market foundation for the rapid development of LeoMed, which has strategically established a comprehensive product portfolio covering both peripheral arterial and venous interventions.In the field of peripheral vascular therapy, LeoMed has deployed a portfolio of flagship products for lower extremity arterial stenosis and occlusion, including PTA balloons, drug-coated balloons, arterial stent systems, and drug-eluting stents.。In the field of peripheral venous vasculature, it has innovatively provided a comprehensive portfolio of dedicated products for deep vein thrombosis and post-thrombotic syndrome, ranging from venous thrombectomy to venous stenting.

The “2019 National Latest Cancer Report” released by the National Cancer Center shows that in 2015, the estimated number of new malignant tumor cases in China was 3.929 million, among which more than 1 million new cancer patients were in the digestive system field.Gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and esophageal cancer are the three most common gastrointestinal cancers, ranking second, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in China, with their incidence rates all showing an upward trend.

Correspondingly, the endoscopy market has experienced rapid expansion.According to data released by Frost & Sullivan, the market size of endoscopes in China grew from RMB 10.2 billion in 2013 to RMB 19.9 billion in 2017,andThe endoscopy industry is projected in 2022Market Sizewill reach RMB 32 billion.

In the field of high-value consumables for digestive endoscopic interventions, LeoMed is one of the leading domestic enterprises. It is already capable of providing a full range of ERCP consumables to the market, with no more than three companies in China currently possessing such capability. Furthermore, in the ESD product sector, the company has not only deployed a complete suite of surgical instruments but also introduced multiple innovative products. These advancements will make ESD procedures safer and more convenient, thereby further driving market expansion.

In the field of interventional respiratory endoscopy, the latest study published by Academician Wang Chen in The Lancet indicates that there are over 100 million patients with lower respiratory tract diseases in China. With the continuous popularization and deepening application of flexible bronchoscopy in China, there has been a corresponding increase in patient demand for therapeutic devices used during flexible bronchoscopy procedures.LeoMed CEO Zhang Zhongmin stated, “Conservatively estimated, the domestic market size for respiratory endoscopic interventional devices should exceed RMB 10 billion.”

Currently, LeoMed has launched multiple basic consumables for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications under fiberoptic bronchoscopy, all of which have obtained NMPA registration certificates and are poised to generate sales revenue in the near future.