ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - March 24, 2010) - Atlanta Catheter Therapies, Inc. (ACT) has successfully completed the prototyping phase for an innovative medical device that integrates drug delivery with vascular catheterization. ACT is focused on developing innovative catheter technologies for the treatment of vascular disease and restenosis.
The Occlusion Perfusion Catheter™ (OPC) developed by ACT allows endovascular specialists who have already cleared blocked blood vessels to then immediately circumferentially infuse the media with an agent or live cell to reduce or eliminate restenosis (re-blockage). The OPC follows the same guide wire used by the debulking catheter to deliver anti-restenosis agents or drugs and other therapies directly and precisely to the treatment site.
"Statistics from the American Heart Association show that more than 35 million Americans will be affected by vascular disease," says ACT CEO Paul Fitzpatrick. "Our goal at ACT is to more effectively clear the blockage and prevent restenosis, or re-blockage, of the blood vessel."
Vascular disease occurs when blood vessels are blocked due to the buildup of fatty plaque and/or associated blood clots. All current treatment options, including atherectomy, thrombectomy, balloon angioplasty and various types of drug eluting and non-eluting vascular stents, have limitations when used to clear the blockage.
"These procedures actually create a controlled injury to the endothelium of the blood vessel wall," explains ACT's Chief Scientific Officer Rex Teeslink, M.D. "This injury causes a cascade of events resulting in proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells into the blood vessel lumen, resulting in restenosis. Approximately thirty to forty percent (30-40%) of patients will develop restenosis after their endovascular debulking procedure, and that can happen in as little as six months."
Restenosis results in re-intervention, increased cost and added patient risk, with an estimated cost to the U.S. healthcare system of $475 billion annually. Anti-restenosis agents developed by pharmaceutical companies have been proven to have a positive effect on reducing restenosis. In addition, biological and live cell therapies are being explored to treat the cause of restenosis at the cellular level. However, these anti-restenosis agents and biological therapies must be delivered to the site of the blockage, creating a new challenge that is being addressed by ACT's Occlusion Perfusion Catheter.
In addition to the OPC, the company is attacking the problem of vascular disease by developing leading edge technology for atherectomy, thrombectomy and other catheter-based devices. ACT currently has seven devices in its product development pipeline, including the OPC.
"Each device is being designed and developed with targeted improvements over any existing device already on the market," said Fitzpatrick. "These design improvements will vastly advance the efficacy of the treatment of vascular disease and restenosis and address the enormous problem associated with these conditions worldwide."
About Atlanta Catheter Therapies
Atlanta Catheter Therapies is an early stage research and development medical device company with an innovative and targeted portfolio of catheter technologies for the treatment of vascular disease and restenosis. ACT has developed a revolutionary drug delivery device for the treatment of restenosis (re-blockage of blood vessels) and is developing devices for endovascular debulking (clearing of blocked blood vessels). Learn more at www.atlcath.com.
Contact Information:
Media Contact: Lynn Hood, , 770-321-8439