Metactive Awarded Phase I SBIR Grant From The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Of The NIH

OLATHE, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Metactive Medical Inc. (Metactive), an early-stage company focused on developing embolization devices for the treatment of peripheral vascular and neurovascular diseases, announced today that it has received a $224,000 Phase I SBIR grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (grant # 1R43HL124832-01A1).

“We believe that Blockstent has the potential to enable more precise device placement; faster, more complete, and more durable blood vessel occlusion; and fewer complications relative to currently available devices and look forward to continuing our development program with the support of this new NHLBI grant funding.”

The grant proceeds will be used to continue the development of Metactive’s novel over-the-wire Blockstent Microcatheter™ embolic devices for the occlusion of peripheral arteries and veins. Nonclinical research data presented as a poster at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society of Vascular Surgery in June, showed immediate and complete occlusion of axillary and internal thoracic arteries and 100% complete occlusion at four week follow up in all 7 cases.

“This grant will fund larger nonclinical studies comparing the acute and chronic performance of the Blockstent Microcatheter™ versus commercially available vascular occlusion devices such as coils and mesh plugs, which can be difficult to use and often result in incomplete treatment,” stated Howard M. Loree II, PhD, Vice President of Research and Development for Metactive and Principal Investigator for the new grant. “We believe that Blockstent has the potential to enable more precise device placement; faster, more complete, and more durable blood vessel occlusion; and fewer complications relative to currently available devices and look forward to continuing our development program with the support of this new NHLBI grant funding.”

About Peripheral Artery and Aneurysm Embolization
Embolization is a minimally invasive treatment that blocks the flow of blood in selected segments of arteries and veins, enabling physicians to divert blood away from cancerous tumors and other abnormal tissues, as well as from damaged or malformed segments of blood vessels. More than 150,000 peripheral vascular embolization procedures are performed each year worldwide using coils and vascular plugs. Similarly, more than 150,000 cerebral aneurysm embolization procedures are performed worldwide each year using coils and flow-diverting vascular stents. There is currently a need in these markets for endovascular embolization devices that can be placed quickly and easily, with a high degree of precision, and that result in immediate and lasting occlusion.

About Metactive Medical
Metactive is developing novel endovascular medical devices for the treatment of neurovascular and peripheral vascular diseases. Metactive's first products enable precise and immediate occlusion and rapid sealing of cerebral aneurysms and other target vessel segments using an over-the-wire microcatheter platform. For more information, please visit www.metactivemedical.com.