Medinol has announced the successful first-in-human implantation of the ChampioNIR drug-eluting peripheral stent by Gerard S Goh and Thodur Vasudevan of the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.
The ChampioNIR drug-eluting peripheral stent poses a transformational technology designed to improve patient outcomes and procedural success. In a first-of-its-kind hybrid mechanical design, radial support is provided by the metallic component of the stent, whereas longitudinal structure is provided by a bioresorbable polymeric mesh providing unsurpassed flexibility and long-term durability in even the most challenging anatomies. Furthermore, a unique drug-elution paradigm releases drug from the entire cylindrical area of the stent, drastically reducing diffusion distances and allowing, for the first time, therapeutic dosing of a large peripheral vessel with a ‘limus’ drug for an extended period of time.
“We were impressed with ChampioNIR’s deliverability and its straightforward deployment”, said Goh, head of interventional radiology at The Alfred Hospital. “The frictionless deployment mechanism made the precise positioning of the stent very straightforward.”
Yoram Richter, chief executive officer of Medinol, added: “Medinol is excited to bring to clinical practice the culmination of years of research and development into novel stent designs, tailor-made for unmet clinical challenges in vascular interventions,”
The CHAMPIONSHIP study will enrol a total of 30 patients across seven sites in Australia and the USA. Sahil Parikh (Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA) principal investigator of the CHAMPIONSHIP study commented: “The ChampioNIR stent represents a breakthrough in treatment for superficial femoral artery (SFA) lesions. I am excited to see this device come to life after years of development.”
