IRVINE, Calif., May 20, 2010-Transcatheter heart valve company CardiAQ Valve Technologies (“CVT”), which is developing the world’s first self-conforming and self-anchoring technology for Transcatheter Mitral Valve Implantation (TMVI), announced today that its proprietary transcatheter delivery system was employed to successfully deliver a mitral valve implant in the porcine model. This major achievement for mitral valve replacement is scheduled to be presented on Tuesday, May 25th, at the “EuroPCR 2010" scientific meeting in Paris by Arshad Quadri, M.D., co-founder, chairman and chief medical officer of CVT.
The presentation will report six major outcomes of an acute in vivo study of the TMVI system: (1) accurate positioning of the implanted valve relative to the mitral valve annulus; (2) secure anchoring of the implanted valve to the mitral anatomy without relying on radial force; (3) preservation of the subvalvular apparatus; (4) conformance of the implanted valve to the mitral annulus to prevent paravalvular leaks; (5) confirmation of a clear, unobstructed Left Ventricular Outflow Tract (LVOT); and, most importantly, (6) the successful delivery and deployment of the implant through an antegrade, transvenous, transseptal, catheter-based approach
“Our previous in vivo work had already confirmed the acute performance of CVT’s self-conforming, self-anchoring mitral valve, but now we have demonstrated that true transcatheter mitral valve implantation is achievable,” said Brent Ratz, CVT’s President and CEO. “Others have published results for minimally invasive, transapical approaches to mitral valve replacement. However, to our knowledge, this is the first time that anyone has successfully delivered and deployed a mitral valve through a transvenous, transseptal, catheter-based approach. This is certainly a ‘first’ for the heart valve community.”
“Given the enormous unmet clinical need for the overwhelming majority of patients who suffer from mitral regurgitation (“MR”), we are extremely pleased by this significant milestone,” said Dr. Quadri. “The vast majority of MR patients suffer from functional MR and many are too sick to undergo heart valve surgery. In addition, surgical repair is largely ineffective with these patients, as the recurrent rate of MR after repair is about 20 percent. With CVT’s TMVI approach, it appears that easy access along with precise placement may permit a truly interventional or non-surgical procedure to replace a mitral valve.”
About CardiAQ Valve Technologies
Privately held CVT, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., has developed a proprietary system for Transcatheter Mitral Valve Implantation (TMVI). Through the combination of a unique anchoring mechanism and a novel delivery catheter, physicians will be able to accurately and securely implant a new mitral valve within a beating heart, thus avoiding open-heart surgery. The CVT procedure is designed to be performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory similar to angioplasty or stenting, resulting in less trauma to the patient and substantial cost-savings to the healthcare system.
