Ancora Heart has announced the expansion of its US feasibility study to evaluate the investigational AccuCinch ventricular repair system designed for the treatment of heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation. According to a press release, the first-of-its-kind therapy is designed for the treatment of heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation.
It adds that the AccuCinch procedure is intended to directly repair the enlarged left ventricle, targeting the underlying cause of heart failure. This minimally invasive procedure is designed to reduce the size of the left ventricle, improve left ventricular function, and reduce symptoms of heart failure, with the goal of improving quality of life for patients.
The AccuCinch therapy has the potential to treat heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation patients in whom the disease has progressed beyond the ability for medications and pacemakers to manage symptoms or for whom the risks of open-heart surgery are too high. Unlike current technologies that replicate surgical procedures to replace or repair an otherwise-normal mitral valve, AccuCinch is designed to repair the left ventricle directly to enable proper mitral valve function.
Paul Sorajja (Roger L and Lynn C Headrick Family Chair for Valve Science Research, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation Valve Science Center, Minneapolis, USA), a principal investigator of the study, says: “Today there is an enormous unmet need for effective treatment options for patients with heart failure, as many patients either do not undergo or may not benefit from traditional surgical approaches. Early results suggest that AccuCinch has the potential to be the first therapy of its kind to treat dysfunction of the left ventricle and indicate this approach may address the shortcomings of current heart failure and functional mitral regurgitation treatments.”
Jeff Closs, president and CEO of Ancora Heart, comments: “We are pleased that the FDA has approved expansion of this study, as it will allow us to continue to gather valuable clinical information about AccuCinch. We are encouraged by our early clinical experience and interest from new heart centers to participate in the study.”
