CircuLite, Inc. has announced the presentation of positive clinical data for its Synergy Pocket Micro-pump for chronic heart failure at the 58th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology. The data presented in the Late-Breaking Clinical Trials Emerging Technologies session demonstrated that long-term, partial circulatory support with Synergy yielded statistically significant hemodynamic benefits and sustained improvements in cardiac function with evidence of myocardial recovery in patients with chronic heart failure. The presentation was given by Daniel Burkhoff, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of CircuLite and Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical School. Synergy is a micro-blood pump, the size of an AA battery that can be implanted superficially in a “pacemaker-like” pocket. This is the novel and smallest device designed for partial circulatory support (up to 3L/min) and long-term use in patients with Class IIIb and early Class IV heart failure. The presentation details results for 16 patients (13 males) who were implanted with Synergy. Significant improvements in hemodynamics were observed in the first day of support. Additionally, 8 patients have since completed their follow-up right heart catherization at a mean of 11 weeks, and the data demonstrate that the significant hemodynamic improvements were sustained. Mean arterial pressure increased from 68 mmHg to 81 mmHg (p=0.02) and mean cardiac index increased from 2.0 to 2.8 L/min/m2 (p=0.01). Large reductions in mean capillary wedge pressure were observed (29 to 17 mmHg, p=0.003). In addition, mean peak VO2 increased from 9.6 to 14.1 ml/kg/minute. The duration of patient support with Synergy averaged 90 days, with the longest support period of 213 days. At three months, 81 percent (13/16) of patients were alive and nine received heart transplants. No device related deaths or strokes have occurred.