Medtronic, partner developing device ?for rare aneurysm
SANTA ROSA – Medtronic has engaged in an exclusive patent license agreement with a health care research facility to develop a stent graft system for less invasive treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.
Medtronic plans to study the system in collaboration with physicians at South Dakota-based Sanford Health, which holds the intellectual property covered by the agreement, and several other medical centers starting in the near future. After obtaining the required regulatory approvals, Medtronic will then market the stent.
Dr. Patrick Kelly is a Sanford Health vascular surgeon who developed the concept for the system. “We’re very excited to be working with Dr. Kelly and Sanford Health to develop a standardized stent graft system to address the clinical challenges of repairing thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms,” said Daveen Chopra, vice president and general manager of the Aortic franchise at Medtronic, in a statement. “The exclusive patent license agreement that we’ve entered into with Sanford Health is a further demonstration of how Medtronic collaborates with physicians to foster innovation and develop new therapies that lead to better patient care.”
An aortic aneurysm is a dangerous bulge or ballooning in a segment of the wall of the aorta, a condition that affects an estimated 1.3 million people in the United States. If left untreated it can rupture and cause sudden death.
The rarest type of aortic aneurysms –– thoracoabdominal–– start in the thorax and extend through the abdomen, and generally involve the branch arteries that supply blood to the liver, spleen, intestine, kidney and other organs, making them especially challenging to treat. Most patients with a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm have limited treatment options and are considered at high-risk for open surgical repair.
“Taking the complex and making it simple has long been our goal for the treatment of thoracoabdominal aneurysms,” Dr. Kelly said in a statement. “Working with Medtronic could eventually place our solution in the hands of vascular surgeons around the world to help patients facing a life-threatening condition. We hope that this will have a major impact on the treatment of one of the most challenging disease processes to face our specialty.”
The study was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. When enough evidence is gathered, approval from the FDA for the device will be applied for again.
Medtronic stent grafts have been used to treat more than 400,000 patients worldwide since 1999, more than any other stent maker, the company said.
