Pi-Cardia, a global leader in the development of non-implant, catheter-based, leaflet modification solutions for treating heart valves, announced today the successful completion of its ShortCut Pivotal Study enrollment. ShortCut is the world’s first dedicated device designed to split the leaflets of pre-existing valves to enable safe Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) in patients at risk of coronary obstruction.
The study was conducted across 20 of the world’s leading TAVR centers in the US and Europe and was led by Drs. Susheel Kodali (New York Presbyterian/Columbia University, New York, USA), Didier Tchétché (Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France) and Danny Dvir (Sha’are Zedek, Jerusalem, Israel). It included 60 patients undergoing valve-in-valve procedures, in whom ShortCut was used as a preceding step to TAVR implantation. Data was independently analyzed by central echo and CT core-labs and baseline data will be presented at the upcoming TCT meeting.
The TAVR market, currently estimated at $6bn, is projected to double over the next five years, with expansion into low-risk younger patients. However, this growth may be hindered by a fundamental challenge: during TAVR implantation, the leaflets of pre-existing valves are pushed sideways, compromising normal flow in the sinuses and hindering coronary access. This can turn into a life-threatening complication of complete coronary obstruction in a significant number of patients, especially those who undergoing TAVR to treat a failing bioprosthetic valve. ShortCut offers a promising solution by enabling the pre-existing valve leaflets to be split, facilitating a safer valve-in-valve procedure and potentially broadening the TAVR market’s reach to younger patients.
“We are excited to have been able to complete enrollment in such a groundbreaking study so efficiently,” said Dr. Kodali. “It clearly demonstrates the unmet need for ShortCut and how excited the sites were to learn and perform the procedure. I look forward to the commercial launch of ShortCut in the US in the near future.”
“We’ve spent years looking for techniques to overcome the life-threatening complication of coronary obstruction,” said Dr. Dvir. “Having performed multiple ShortCut cases, I can clearly say we’ve found a simple, controlled and teachable solution that integrates well into the workflow of every TAVR center.”
“I can see ShortCut becoming instrumental, not only in facilitating safe valve-in-valve procedures, but also for ensuring future coronary access in patients receiving their first TAVR or optimizing TAVR in bicuspid valves,” said Dr. Tchétché. “Lifetime management for patients with aortic stenosis is increasingly important as we treat younger patients. ShortCut holds the key for TAVR to safely expand to these large populations.”
ShortCut is part of Pi-Cardia’s leaflet modification product portfolio, which includes the ShortCut Mitral for splitting leaflets in patients at risk for left ventricular outflow tract obstruction following TMVR, and Leaflex – a standalone, non-implant-based mechanical scoring device to restore leaflet mobility and improve hemodynamics for patients with aortic stenosis. Leaflex global clinical trials are underway.
“We are thrilled having completed enrollment months ahead of schedule,” said Erez Golan, Pi-Cardia’s CEO. “This milestone not only validates our market models predicting a significant percentage of TAVR patients in need for leaflet modification, but it also means we should be able to commercialize ShortCut in the US and Europe as soon as 2024.”
Source: Company Press Release
