The first implantation of BioVentrix’ micro-anchor technology entirely within the left ventricle using a catheter-based endovascular approach has been successfully completed.
This pre-clinical study was performed in collaboration with Louis Labrousse, chief of cardiovascular surgery, Hôpital Haut-Lévèque, Bordeaux-Pessac, France. The study was performed in a previously infarcted ovine model. According to BioVentrix, this demonstrates the feasibility to identify post-ischaemic scar tissue, access the scar from within the vasculature, and deploy Revivent micro-anchors to exclude the diseased tissue without opening the chest.
“The next generation of the Revivent therapy represents a tremendous advancement towards a fully percutaneous volume reduction procedure for heart failure patients. The new system will vastly improve the accuracy of anchor placement and enable a more minimally invasive approach” says Labrousse. He has previously served as principal investigator of other clinical studies seeking to treat patients with ischaemic heart failure.
BioVentrix has previously shown in a study that the exclusion of scar tissue from the LV cavity in patients suffering from ischaemic cardiomyopathy heart failure results in substantial improvements in quality of life. This demonstrates the ability to accomplish the same outcomes with the current hybrid approach, according to the company. BioVentrix anticipates this next generation system will be utilised in clinical trials in early 2016.
