American Heart Association's New Stroke Treatment Guidelines Establish Stent Retrievers as First-Line Endovascular Treatment ...
June 29 2015 - 6:10PM
DUBLIN - June 29, 2015 -
Today, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
(AHA/ASA) published new stroke treatment guidelines that
recommend the use of stent retriever technology - such as Medtronic
plc's (NYSE: MDT) SolitaireTM stent
retriever device - in conjunction with the current standard of
care, IV-tPA, as a first-line treatment for eligible patients.
The guidelines are based on a panel of experts'
analysis of the results from five global clinical trials published
in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that found the
addition of stent retriever technology, a surgical procedure that
manually removes blood clots from the brain, to current medical
therapy such as IV-tPA, has a therapeutic benefit over medical
therapy alone. These trials showed that the addition of stent
retriever technology reduced disability, improved neurological
outcomes and increased the rate of return to functional
independence in patients suffering stroke.
"This is a tremendous leap forward in establishing
the best possible protocol for the treatment of stroke, the number
five killer and the number one cause of disability in the U.S.,"
said Elad Levy, MD, MBA, FACS, FAHA, chairman of neurological
surgery and professor of neurosurgery and radiology at State
University of New York at Buffalo. "The panel believes strongly
that these changes will provide great benefit to patients and our
broader society as we continue to elevate the level of care needed
to significantly reduce the impact of this devastating
disease."
The primary stent retriever studied in the global
trials was the Solitaire device. Three of the five trials
- SOLITAIRE(TM) FR With the Intention For Thrombectomy as
PRIMary Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic
Stroke (SWIFT PRIME), Endovascular Revascularization With
Solitaire Device Versus Best Medical Therapy in Anterior
Circulation Stroke Within 8 Hours (REVASCAT) and EXtending the Time
for Thrombolysis in Emergency Neurological Deficits -
Intra-Arterial (EXTEND-IA) - studied the Solitaire stent
retriever exclusively, making it the only stent retriever that was
used in every one of the five NEJM-published randomized trials.
The Solitaire stent retriever uses a
micro-sized catheter to access arteries in the brain affected by
stroke through an incision in the leg. Once delivered, the device
helps to immediately restore blood flow and remove the blood clots
causing the stroke.
"Since Medtronic's invention of the first stent
retriever in 2007, our commitment to fighting stroke has not
wavered," said Brett Wall, president of the Neurovascular business,
which is part of the Restorative Therapies Group at Medtronic. "We
helped to bring the five global trials to bear that have proven
this device can be a gamechanger in the treatment of stroke,
reducing functional disability in patients. The AHA/ASA guidelines
have validated our commitment to and belief in this technology, and
we will work hard to make it accessible to as many stroke patients
as possible."
Of the 695,000 acute ischemic stroke victims in
the U.S., about 240,000 are eligible for treatment with stent
retrievers. However, while these devices are available at more than
500 hospitals in the U.S., only about 13,000 procedures are
performed annually.
"The new national guidelines recognize stent
retrievers as a major advance in stroke care, and indicate that we
should strive to deliver catheter-based reperfusion to patients
widely and rapidly," said Jeffrey L. Saver, MD, FAHA, FAAN, FANA,
professor of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine at the University
of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and director, UCLA Comprehensive
Stroke Center. "And since time lost is brain lost in acute stroke,
patients with emergency large vessel occlusions should be
transported as rapidly as possible to a center capable of providing
this treatment option expertly and efficiently."
About Medtronic
Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered
in Dublin, Ireland, is the global leader in medical technology -
alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions
of people around the world.
Any forward-looking statements
are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in
Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from
anticipated results.
-end-
Contacts:
David T. Young
Public Relations
+1-508-452-1644
Jeff Warren
Investor Relations
+1-763-505-2696
This
announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on
behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely
responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the
information contained therein.
Source: Medtronic plc via Globenewswire
HUG#1932708
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Medtronic (NYSE:MDT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024