US-based medical devices maker Abiomed has acquired a medical device company preCARDIA for an undisclosed sum.
preCARDIA offers heart failure specialists a minimally invasive solution to enhance patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care.
The company has developed an advanced catheter and controller, which will complement Abiomed’s product portfolio to expand options for patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).
By reducing cardiac filling pressures, the preCARDIA system quickly treats ADHF-related volume overload and supports decongestion to improve overall cardiac and renal function.
preCARDIA’s catheter-based system consists of an advanced superior vena cava (SVC) balloon, which provides programmed intermittent occlusion of the SVC.
The firm’s catheter-based system is based on an invention by Dr Navin Kapur and Dr Richard Karas at the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute at Tufts Medical Centre in Boston.
The design of the preCARDIA system facilitates straightforward placement by physicians and hemodynamic monitoring by medical staff.
In addition, the preCARDIA system secured breakthrough device designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
According to the company, major benefits for patients comprises improved response to medical management of ADHF, reduced duration of hospital stay, reduced re-hospitalizations and improved quality of life.
preCARDIA president and CEO Lisa Wipperman Heine said: “Abiomed, with its mission of resting and recovering hearts, is uniquely positioned to build on the legacy of what we started.
“I am confident that the addition of our technology into Abiomed’s product portfolio will further improve outcomes for heart failure patients.”
In an FDA early feasibility study (EFS) that enrolled 30 patients, preCARDIA achieved technical success and significant reduction in cardiac filling pressures and rapid diuresis.
The preCARDIA system is available for investigational use only and not secured approval for use outside of clinical studies.
