Verve’s United States Pilot Trial of Renal Pelvic Denervation Therapy Enrolls First Patient

March 11, 2026—Verve Medical, a developer of noninvasive renal pelvic denervation (RPD) technology, announced the treatment of the first patient in its randomized, double-blinded United States pilot clinical trial for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension.

According to the company, the RPD pilot trial is enrolling 60 patients at 10 sites in the United States. Patients in the study will be randomized to receive either RPD therapy or a sham procedure. The first procedure was performed by Michael Borofsky, MD, Associate Professor and Director of Endourology Fellowship at the University of Minnesota and M Health Fairview in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The company stated that the RPD pilot trial builds on the results from its TUSK feasibility trial, which demonstrated an average reduction of approximately 20 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure among treated patients through 1-year follow-up.

Verve stated that RPD therapy, which uses a patient’s natural urinary tract, directly targets overactive renal nerves using radiofrequency energy delivered into the densely enervated renal pelvis through an outpatient procedure. The procedure combines urologists’ expertise in accessing the renal collecting system with nephrologists’ understanding of blood pressure regulation and its relationship with renal function, noted the company.

John Osborn, PhD, commented on the study in the company’s press release. Dr. Osborn is Professor, Department of Surgery, at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Chief–Division of Autonomic Neuromodulation; and Director of the Minnesota Consortium for Autonomic Neuromodulation.

“Based on prior research done here at the University of Minnesota and other advanced research centers across the country, we are excited to see how the Verve RPD procedure performs,” stated Dr. Osborn. “Theoretically, the proposed ability to target a greater volume of afferent nerves offers the potential for a differentiated reduction in blood pressure compared to endovascular denervation technologies.”