Built upon its predecessor, the Catalyst III is coated with protamine sulfate, a drug which neutralizes heparin in the tissue adjacent to the device. Local heparin reversal by the Catalyst III system facilitates quick and efficient vessel closure as an adjunct to manual compression in patients undergoing anticoagulation with heparin. Catalyst III’s protamine coating contacts the tissue tract from the arteriotomy site to the point of percutaneous entry in the skin. Cardiva estimates that annually 1.7 million patients in the US receive heparin during an endovascular procedure; the majority of these cases are for peripheral vascular disease, the fastest growing segment in the percutaneous procedure market.
Initial use of the Catalyst III system took place in the Cardiovascular Institute of the South located at Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma, LA, under the direction of its founder, interventional cardiologist, Craig Walker, M.D. Dr. Walker said of the Catalyst III, We believe that localized protamine in the tissue tract makes a big difference. Not only can we accomplish rapid, natural vessel closure for our patients, but we can also improve our efficiency while utilizing a more cost-effective and time-tested anticoagulant.
As the Company formally announces the market launch of this new product today, the Catalyst III further demonstrates Cardiva’s ability to evolve its technology platform to meet the unique needs of patients in the vessel closure market, commented Augustine Lien, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Cardiva Medical, Inc. We expect the Catalyst III to deliver strong economic value to the health care system by facilitating throughput in patients who are anticoagulated with heparin, and permitting clinicians to significantly lower the overall cost of anticoagulation.
