Vascular device developer Vetex Medical said today that it launched a first-in-human trial of its Vetex thrombectomy catheter intended for treating deep vein thrombosis and that the first patient in the trial has been treated in the study.
The Galway, Ireland-based company said that the Vetex cath uses both rotational and grasping action during the removal of clots, and that the device can handle large volumes and wall-adherent clots without the need for thrombolytic drugs.
The first patient in the trial was treated by the study principal investigator Dr. Stephen Black and Dr. Narayan Thulasidasan at London’s St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Vetex Medical said.
“The Vetex device was surprisingly effective at removing wall-adherent clot on the first pass and was easy to use in our first procedure. Existing devices can remove fresh thrombus but have difficulty creating a larger lumen through more organized material on the vessel wall. This device shows the potential to start and finish the procedure in one cath lab session, avoiding ICU/HDU time and a prolonged hospital stay, and thereby saving staff time and hospital costs,” Dr. Black said in a press release.
The 30-patient trial is exploring the use of the Vetex cath in treating patients with acute iliofemoral DVT with a primary outcome of procedural success as defined by SIR Grade II Lysis and freedom from procedural related adverse events.
“We intend to introduce more predictability and reliability to DVT treatment by paving the way to single session DVT treatment without thrombolytics. By integrating technologies in order to remove clot from wall to wall, we have designed our device to speed up treatment and spare the patient from thrombolytics, which has the potential to reduce complications and overall costs, and get the patient home sooner,” CEO Mark Bruzzi said in a prepared statement.