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BibbInstruments AB: US professor highlights clinical potential of EndoDrill GI for liver biopsies at virtual symposium
BiBBInstruments AB ("BiBB" or the "Company"), developer of EndoDrill® - the world's first market-cleared powered biopsy instrument for endoscopy - announces that Professor Shyam Thakkar, Director of Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy at West Virginia University (WVU), presented his clinical experience with EndoDrill® GI for endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) at a virtual symposium hosted by TaeWoong Medical USA on October 27, 2026. The presentation focused on the potential of EndoDrill® GI to obtain large, well-preserved tissue samples without suction, a feature that may reduce the risk of bleeding compared with conventional suction-based biopsy techniques.
"It is encouraging to see continued clinical interest in EndoDrill® GI for EUS-guided liver biopsy in the US. Professor Thakkar's presentation adds to the positive experiences previously reported by other US physicians and highlights various potential advantages of our technology, including the ability to obtain multiple high-quality tissue cores without suction. The possibility of reducing bleeding risk is particularly interesting and warrants further clinical investigation. We see liver biopsy as a promising additional application for EndoDrill® GI," says Fredrik Lindblad, CEO of BiBB.
EUS-guided liver biopsy is an increasingly utilized technique that offers an alternative to traditional percutaneous and transjugular liver biopsy. The growing interest in this technique, particularly in the US, represents an additional potential market opportunity for EndoDrill® GI beyond its established applications in EUS-guided tissue sampling.
During his presentation, Thakkar discussed the advantages of EUS-guided liver biopsy, including the ability to obtain tissue samples from both liver lobes and to combine liver biopsy with other endoscopic procedures during the same session. He also discussed potential cost savings through combined procedures and earlier discharge, as well as opportunities to increase patient referrals.
Thakkar highlighted several potential advantages of EndoDrill® GI compared with conventional 19G needles used for EUS-guided liver biopsy. Unlike traditional suction-based biopsy techniques, EndoDrill® GI uses a powered rotating tip to mechanically obtain intact core tissue samples without suction. Thakkar also described the system's "magazine function", allowing multiple tissue cores to be collected without removing the instrument between punctures. These features may enable the collection of larger amounts of tissue with preserved architecture, while sampling without suction may contribute to a reduced risk of bleeding.
As part of the presentation, Thakkar demonstrated a clinical case of EUS-guided liver biopsy performed with EndoDrill® GI, including images of the biopsy procedure and the tissue cores obtained. He described his preliminary experience as promising while emphasizing the need for further clinical studies to confirm the potential advantages.
The presentation adds to previous positive clinical experiences with EndoDrill® GI in liver biopsy procedures in the US. At Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026, physicians at Henry Ford St. John Hospital in Detroit presented a case series involving six patients, including three undergoing liver biopsy and three undergoing pancreatic biopsy. Diagnostic tissue samples were obtained in all six cases, providing further support for the clinical potential of EndoDrill® GI.
About EndoDrill® GI
EndoDrill® GI is the world's first market-cleared powered biopsy instrument for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), with both FDA 510(k) clearance and CE marking. Unlike conventional manual biopsy needles, EndoDrill® GI uses a powered rotating needle tip designed to obtain intact core tissue samples for histopathology and molecular analysis. The system is currently being commercialized in the US through distribution partner TaeWoong Medical USA. The European commercial launch is now underway in Spain through distribution partner Palex Medical Spain, representing the first step in BiBB's planned expansion in Europe.
For more information, please contact:
Fredrik Lindblad, CEO
Email: fredrik.lindblad@bibbinstruments.com
Phone: +46 70 899 94 86
www.bibbinstruments.com
This is a translation of the Swedish press release. In the event of any discrepancy, the Swedish language version shall prevail.
The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at the time stated by the Company's news distributor upon publication of this press release.
About BiBBInstruments AB
BiBBInstruments AB is a cancer diagnostics company that develops and manufactures EndoDrill®, the world's first series of market-cleared powered biopsy instruments for endoscopy. EndoDrill® is designed to obtain core tissue samples (core needle biopsies, CNB) with high diagnostic accuracy and aims to improve the diagnosis of cancer in, among other organs, the stomach, pancreas, liver, lungs, and urinary bladder. The product portfolio targets the global market for ultrasound-guided endoscopic biopsy instruments (EUS/EBUS), one of the most advanced and fastest-growing segments within modern endoscopy. BiBB received FDA 510(k) clearance for EndoDrill® GI in 2023 and CE marking under the MDR for EndoDrill® GI, EndoDrill® EBUS, and EndoDrill® URO in 2024. EndoDrill® is thus the first powered biopsy system to be market-cleared in both the US and Europe. The US launch of EndoDrill® GI commenced in the second half of 2025 together with TaeWoong Medical USA. The EndoDrill® system consists of sterile single-use instruments and a proprietary drive system. BiBB was founded in 2013 by Dr Charles Walther, a cancer researcher at Lund University and senior consultant in pathology at Skåne University Hospital. The Company is headquartered at Medicon Village in Lund, Sweden, and its shares are listed on Spotlight Stock Market (ticker: BIBB).