CardioKinetix Inc., a medical device company pioneering a catheter-based treatment for heart failure, today announced a new first with four patients successfully treated this week with the novel catheter-based Parachute ® Ventricular Partitioning Device in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
After a heart attack, many patients experience enlargement of their left ventricle causing a decrease in cardiac output resulting in heart failure symptoms such as shortness of breath. Treatment options for patients whose ventricle has enlarged are limited. The Parachute device offers the first minimally invasive catheter-based treatment to partition the damaged muscle, excluding the non-functional heart segment from the healthy, functional segment to decrease the overall volume of the left ventricle and restore its geometry and function.
“We are thrilled that the first Parachute procedure in Asia was performed here in Kuala Lumpur. There is a significant unmet need for better treatments for patients with heart failure in Malaysia, where heart disease is a growing public health concern,” said Robaayah Zambahari, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Institut Jantung Negara (National Heart Institute) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “Heart failure symptoms have a significant negative impact on quality of life. Surgical treatments for the condition are invasive and typically performed in the later stages of the disease, and medical therapy does not address the underlying structural issues of ischemic heart failure. The Parachute device is an innovative new option that has demonstrated promising results in previous studies.” “The expansion of the Parachute device into Asia is an important achievement for the company,” said Maria Sainz, President and CEO of CardioKinetix Inc. “Continuing to partner with leading clinicians and heart centers illustrates the promise the Parachute holds to bring a solution for the underserved heart failure patients around the world.” The introduction of the Parachute into the Asian market will add significant experience to the program where the device already has CE Mark in Europe and is currently enrolling in the U.S. pivotal trial, PARACHUTE IV.
