The first two patients have been enrolled in the Impella ECP pivotal trial, after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the version of the Impella ECP (Abiomed) device that will be used in the trial.
Amir Kaki (Ascension St John Hospital, Detroit, USA) led the procedures, the first to be performed in the single-arm, prospective, multicentre trial which will evaluate the rate of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in adult patients who receive Impella ECP support during an elective or urgent high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Impella ECP is 9Fr in diameter upon insertion and removal from the body. Once in the body, it expands and supports the heart’s pumping function, providing peak flows up to 5L/min.
Both patients enrolled in the trial received Impella ECP support during challenging left main coronary bifurcation stent procedures involving heavily calcified lesions. After Impella ECP was removed, the first patient was closed with an 8Fr closure device.
“The research and clinical teams at Ascension St John are delighted about enrolling the first patients in the Impella ECP FDA pivotal trial,” said Kaki, who is national principal investigator of the study. ”Impella ECP advances the opportunity for physicians to provide critical haemodynamic support during high-risk PCI procedures by delivering similar or higher flow compared to other options through a smaller vascular sheath for access. This technology has the potential to improve patient safety and cath lab throughput because of the smaller arteriotomy required for pump placement.”
“Impella ECP demonstrates Abiomed’s leadership in technology and innovation as we have broken the small-bore barrier through the development of the world’s smallest heart pump,” said Mike Minogue, Abiomed’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “At Abiomed, we remain committed to developing smaller, smarter and more connected technologies that will improve outcomes for patients with heart disease. I applaud the teams within the medical community and at Abiomed who helped us achieve this milestone.”
In June 2020, the FDA approved the Impella ECP early feasibility study (EFS). Fifty-four patients have been treated to date in the EFS, including some patients treated using the pivotal clinical trial protocol. Impella ECP received FDA breakthrough device designation in August 2021.
