Canada NewsWire
VANCOUVER, Oct. 10, 2018
NASDAQ, TSX: NVCN
VANCOUVER, Oct. 10, 2018 /CNW/ - Neovasc Inc. ("Neovasc" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: NVCN) (TSX: NVCN), a leader in the development of minimally invasive transcatheter mitral valve replacement technologies and in the development of minimally invasive devices for the treatment of refractory angina, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") has granted Breakthrough Device designation to the Neovasc Reducer™ (the "Reducer"), a medical device for the treatment of refractory angina, which is not currently approved for commercial sale in the U.S.
The FDA grants Breakthrough Device designation in order to expedite the development and review of a device that demonstrates compelling potential to provide a more effective treatment or diagnosis for life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases. To qualify as a Breakthrough Device, there must either be no FDA approved treatments presently available, or the technology must offer significant advantages over existing approved alternatives.
"We are pleased that the FDA has approved our request for Breakthrough Device designation for the Reducer. We will now start a process of further discussions and filings with the FDA, to obtain further guidance as to the regulatory pathway for entrance into the U.S. market. This designation supports our belief that this technology offers a significant benefit to patients suffering from refractory angina," commented Fred Colen, Neovasc's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to working closely with FDA through this regulatory process."
Refractory angina, resulting in continued symptoms despite maximal available medical therapy and without revascularization options, is estimated to affect 600,000 to 1.8 million Americans, with 50,000 to 100,000 new cases per year.1
About Reducer
The Reducer is CE-marked in the European Union for the treatment of refractory angina, a painful and debilitating condition that occurs when the coronary arteries deliver an inadequate supply of blood to the heart muscle, despite treatment with standard revascularization or cardiac drug therapies. It affects millions of patients worldwide, who typically lead severely restricted lives as a result of their disabling symptoms, and its incidence is growing. The Reducer provides relief of angina symptoms by altering blood flow in the heart's circulatory system, thereby increasing the perfusion of oxygenated blood to ischemic areas of the heart muscle. Placement of the Reducer is performed using a minimally invasive transvenous procedure that is similar to implanting a coronary stent and is completed in approximately 20 minutes.