The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare added Concentric Medical Inc.’s Merci Retriever to its list of covered products and treatments for ischemic stroke.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based neuro-interventional product maker claims to be the first company to offer a device treatment for stroke patients in Japan. Its Retriever device is comprised of a catheter-based system that doctors use to remove blood clots from the brains of ischemic stroke patients.
Concentric won Shonin approval from the Japanese MHLW for its Merci Retriever, Merci Microcatheter and Merci Balloon Guide Catheter in May, according to the company.
Tokyo-based medical device supplier Century Medical Inc. is Concentric’s exclusive distributor in Japan. The companies collaborated on the approval and reimbursement processes for the Merci device.