Country for PR: United States
Contributor: PR Newswire New York
Tuesday, May 25 2021 - 21:02
AsiaNet
Procyrion Announces Successful First-in-Human Cases in Cardiorenal Syndrome (CRS) Patients with Aortix(TM) Percutaneous Mechanical Circulatory Support Device
HOUSTON, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --

--Pilot CRS Study to Evaluate Performance of Novel Aortix device in Australia 
and the U.S.

Procyrion, Inc. ( http://www.procyrion.com/ ), a medical device company 
dedicated to improving outcomes for patients with cardiac and renal impairment, 
announced today successful treatment of the first patients in the company's 
pilot trial to evaluate the performance of its novel Aortix(TM) percutaneous 
mechanical circulatory support (pMCS) device in patients with cardiorenal 
syndrome (CRS). The company began its pilot trial in Australia and recently 
expanded to the U.S. after receiving Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) 
approval in April from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

"We are thrilled to be the first center in the U.S. to treat CRS patients with 
the Aortix device. The procedure was performed safely and easily due to the 
pump's position in the aorta versus the heart, which allowed for rapid 
deployment of the catheter-based pump and significantly reduced the risk of 
stroke and damage to the heart," stated Dr. Jennifer Cowger, Medical Director 
of the Mechanical Circulatory Support Program and Co-Director of the Cardiac 
Intensive Care Unit at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI. "After completing 
therapy, the patient showed significant improvement in the key hemodynamic 
parameters, shed over 10 liters of excess fluid, and greatly improved 
creatinine levels, a measure of kidney function."

The Aortix system is a platform technology that will initially target the 
treatment of CRS, a multifactorial disease with cardiac, renal, and 
neurohormonal components contributing to its cause. The device is placed in the 
descending thoracic aorta via a percutaneous catheter procedure for up to 7 
days to simultaneously unload and rest the heart and increase perfusion of 
kidneys. The innovative design uses intra-aortic placement and harnesses fluid 
entrainment to pump blood without the need of a valve and allows for 
physiologically natural delivery of therapy. Use of the system easily 
integrates into practices as the pump can be deployed in less than 10 minutes 
and device operation does not require large or expensive capital equipment.

"I am extremely pleased to be the first user of the Aortix system," commented 
Prof. David Kaye, Director of Cardiology at The Alfred in Melbourne, Australia. 
"With CRS, low blood flow to the kidneys, as a result of underlying heart 
failure, causes activation of the neurohormonal system and signals the body to 
retain fluid, further straining the heart and exacerbating heart failure. This 
negative cycle causes a downward spiral in patients, leading to increased 
mortality and high re-admission rates. We are excited about Aortix's potential 
to disrupt the harmful CRS cycle through its simultaneous cardiac unloading and 
enhancement of renal perfusion."

CRS is a large subset of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) that affects 
up to 40% of all U.S. ADHF patients and is growing at a double-digit rate.1 CRS 
is a complex disease that currently lacks effective treatment options, as 
evidenced by a 20% and 33% re-hospitalization or mortality rate at 30 days and 
90 days post CRS hospitalization, respectively, for those patients who remained 
clinically congested after 96 hours of optimal medical therapy and discharged 
from the hospital.2

"Despite the improvement in outpatient treatment of chronic heart failure, 
there have been few advances in effective medical or device therapies for 
hospitalized ADHF patients and in particular CRS patients. These patients are 
especially difficult to manage and decongest and have very poor outcomes. We 
believe Aortix has the potential to fill this large unmet need," stated Eric. 
S. Fain, MD, president and chief executive officer of Procyrion. 

The CRS pilot study is a prospective and multi-center trial that will enroll up 
to 45 patients in Australia and the U.S. The study received a Category B 
designation and subsequent approval from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services (CMS), which will allow coverage of the Aortix device and routine care 
services during the trial. 

About Procyrion 
Procyrion Inc. is a privately held medical device company that is dedicated to 
providing effective treatment options for cardiac and renal impaired patients. 
The company is developing a catheter-deployed pump technology to address 
multiple conditions with significant unmet needs. The first application of this 
platform technology is for in-hospital therapy of CRS patients. Aortix is not 
approved for sale in any geography. Caution: Investigational device.  Limited 
by Federal law to investigational use.  Please visit www.procyrion.com for more 
information. 

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain predictions, estimates or other information that 
might be considered forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements 
are not a guarantee of future performance. 

1 Based on ICD-10 codes for acute heart failure in National Inpatient Survey of 
data through 2017
2 Procyrion CRS Registry Data. Presented at HFSA 2020

SOURCE: Procyrion

CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT: Katie Arnold, SPRIG Consulting, LLC, +1 (408) 805-0520, 
katie@sprigconsulting.com