Formerly Angel backed and quite active inthe SBIR arena, the firm is more recently indicated as Out of Business. GT Urological (GTU) had been a privately owned, development- stage company working on innovative solutions to treat urinary incontinence. Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) is the unintentional loss of urine prompted by a physical movement or activity (coughing, sneezing, running or heavy lifting), which puts pressure or stress on the bladder. The direct economic burden for UI in men in the United States is estimated to be $3.8 billion/year. Close to 165,000 US men were treated with prostatectomy surgery, the main cause of moderate-to-severe Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI), a statistic that is rising, as the over-60 age population grows at about 3% per year. The firm developed the Phenix Artificial Urinary Sphincter, a totally implantable, artificial prosthesis for the treatment of moderate-to-severe SUI. The Phenix Artificial Urinary Sphincter is currently an investigational device and is being studied under clinical investigation trials in Europe. The Phenix Artificial Urinary Sphincter technology has the added benefit of future application to many other diseases including female SUI and fecal incontinence, bariatric surgery and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). GTU has also completed development of the ActiCuf Male Continence Pouch and has sold the product line to Kander Medical of Cincinnati.
