-- Presentation at Leading European Cardiovascular Conference Highlights Positive Data to Date for Patient Treated during TCT Live Case --
VANCOUVER, BC, and PARIS, France, May 18 /PRNewswire/ - Neovasc Inc. (TSXV:
NVC), a developer of novel technologies used to treat vascular disease,
today reported positive six-month follow-up data for a patient with
severe refractory angina who received the Neovasc Reducer product in a
"live case" procedure broadcast during the 22nd annual Transcatheter
Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium in September
2010. The data, which showed a marked improvement in the patient's
angina symptoms, was presented today at EuroPCR, a leading European
cardiovascular conference.
Dr. Stefan Verheye of the Antwerp Cardiovascular Institute / ZNA
Middelheim had successfully implanted the Neovasc Reducer during the
TCT "live case" demonstration. He commented, "The results seen to date
in this patient are excellent and suggest that implantation of the
Reducer device has the potential to significantly improve the quality
of life of patients with refractory angina. I am hopeful that these
types of positive results will also be seen in the patients currently
being enrolled in the COSIRA clinical trial, which is designed to
rigorously assess the utility of the Reducer in treating refractory
angina."
The Neovasc Reducer is a novel device designed to treat the millions of
patients worldwide who suffer from refractory angina, a painful and
debilitating condition that occurs when the coronary arteries deliver
an inadequate supply of blood to the heart muscle. The incidence of
refractory angina is growing, yet current treatment options are
limited. The Reducer is implanted in the coronary sinus vein using
minimally invasive techniques. By altering blood flow in the coronary
sinus, the Reducer acts to increase the perfusion of oxygenated blood
to certain areas of the heart muscle, thereby reducing the pain and
disability caused by the condition.
The results presented at EuroPCR showed a marked improvement in the
patient's angina symptoms six months following implantation of the
Reducer device. At the time of implantation, in spite of multiple prior
revascularizations, the patient was classified as having CCS Class III
angina, which included experiencing substantial limitations due to
angina pain interfering with everyday activities, such as walking a
short distance or climbing a flight of stairs. Since implantation of
the Reducer device, her angina classification has improved to CCS Class
I, in which patients typically experience angina symptoms only with
strenuous, rapid, or prolonged exertion.
In a video interview conducted last week, the patient reported that she
no longer has to take the majority of her angina medications and is now
riding her bicycle for long periods each day without significant angina
pain. Her improvement has also been documented using quantitative
imaging methods. At baseline the patient demonstrated significant
ischemia of the heart muscle in certain areas around the left ventricle
as measured using echo dobutamine stress testing. At follow-up testing,
these areas appeared substantially normal, with no significant ischemia
observed.
"While representing only a single patient, these encouraging results
illustrate the potential of the Reducer device to provide relief of
angina symptoms and are also consistent with the positive data we
reported in our initial Reducer studies," commented Dr. Shmuel Banai,
Medical Director of Neovasc. "Enrollment int he COSIRA trial is
proceeding well and we look forward to completing and reporting the
results of this important study."
Neovasc is presently enrolling patients in the COSIRA (Coronary Sinus
Reducer for Treatment of Refractory Angina) trial. COSIRA is a
multicenter, sham-controlled, randomized, double-blinded study. It has
been designed to provide controlled, statistically significant data to
further demonstrate the efficacy of the Reducer product to support
regulatory applications and marketing for the millions of refractory
angina patients who could potentially benefit.
About EuroPCR
EuroPCR is the official congress of the European Association of
Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) and is a leading
international meeting on the percutaneous treatment of cardiovascular
disease, attracting over 13,000 participants to its more than 390
sessions. EuroPCR 2011 is being held in Paris, FranceMay 17-20, 2011.
For more information, visit www.europcr.com/
About Neovasc Inc.
Neovasc Inc. is a specialty vascular device company that develops,
manufactures and markets medical devices for the rapidly growing
vascular and surgical marketplace. The company's current products
include the Neovasc Reducer, a novel product in development to treat
refractory angina, as well as a line of advanced biological tissue
technologies that are used to enhance surgical outcomes and as key
components in a variety of third-party medical products such as
transcatheter heart valves. For more information, visit: www.neovasc.com.
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SOURCE Neovasc Inc.
