Invatec Officially Launches Coronary Drug-Eluting Balloon Platform IN.PACT™ Falcon At EuroPCR

Main Category: Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Also Included In: Heart Disease;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 22 May 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Invatec, a comprehensive innovator of interventional products, today announced the availability of its newly CE marked coronary balloon, the IN.PACT™ Falcon paclitaxel-eluting PTCA balloon catheter at the EuroPCR Congress 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. This is one of the first drug-eluting balloons designed specifically to treat atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and underscores Invatec's commitment to robust scientific research into the reduction of re-intervention rates in the treatment of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

Prof. Eberhard Grube, Chief, Department of Cardiology/Angiology at the Heart Center, Siegburg, Germany, commented, "Combining world-class PTCA balloon catheter technology with local drug administration is a fascinating new concept for the treatment of certain coronary lesions such as In-Stent Restenosis (ISR), Small Vessel Disease (SVD), Bifurcations and potentially other lesions where conventional balloons, stents and even drug eluting stents may not be ideal. A drug eluting balloon such as the IN.PACT Falcon that elutes a known and effective drug such as Paclitaxel holds much promise as an effective treatment option for patients."

IN.PACT Falcon combines the currently marketed, performance leading Falcon line of PTCA balloon catheters with Invatec's proprietary IN.PACT technology platform and FreePac™ coating. FreePac is a proprietary, natural coating that frees and separates paclitaxel molecules and facilitates their absorption into the wall of the artery. The FreePac coating was developed in close collaboration with the researchers who pioneered drug-eluting balloon therapy, Ulrich Speck, Ph.D., Department of Radiology at Charite Mitte, Berlin and Bruno Scheller, M.D., University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Homburg/Saar.

"We are extremely excited to commercialize a much-needed product that combines our FreePac coating technology with the performance-leading characteristics of our Falcon PTCA balloon platform, thereby creating a world class drug eluting balloon," commented Andrea Venturelli and Stefan Widensohler, co-founders of Invatec. "The European availability of IN.PACT Falcon underscores our mission to provide physicians with the option of using drug eluting balloons for specific clinical indications throughout the coronary and peripheral anatomy. The launch of IN.PACT Falcon also aligns with our strategy to leverage FreePac on all of our major balloon platforms. We see an immediate opportunity for the IN.PACT Falcon to treat patients with In Stent Restenosis (ISR) and plan to proceed with an ambitious clinical research program to further study the use of IN.PACT Falcon to treat Small Vessel Disease and de novo lesions. "

Source
Invatec

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