Metactive secures US$224,000 NIH grant for further studies of new embolization device

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Metactive announced that it has received a phase I National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to fund comparative studies of its embolization device, Blockstent microcatheter.

The grant proceeds will be used to continue the development of a novel over-the-wire Blockstent microcatheter embolic device for the occlusion of peripheral arteries and veins. Nonclinical research data presented as a poster at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society of Vascular Surgery in June, showed immediate and complete occlusion of axillary and internal thoracic arteries and 100% complete occlusion at four week follow up in a small number of cases (seven).

“This grant will fund larger nonclinical studies comparing the acute and chronic performance of the Blockstent Microcatheter vs. commercially available vascular occlusion devices such as coils and mesh plugs, which can be difficult to use and often result in incomplete treatment,” stated Howard M Loree II, vice president of Research and Development for Metactive and principal investigator for the new grant. “We believe that Blockstent has the potential to enable more precise device placement; faster, more complete, and more durable blood vessel occlusion; and fewer complications relative to currently available devices and look forward to continuing our development programme with the support of this new NHLBI grant funding.”

According to a press release from the company, more than 150,000 peripheral vascular embolization procedures are performed each year worldwide using coils and vascular plugs. Similarly, more than 150,000 cerebral aneurysm embolization procedures are performed worldwide each year using coils and flow-diverting vascular stents. “There is currently a need in these markets for endovascular embolization devices that can be placed quickly and easily, with a high degree of precision, and that result in immediate and lasting occlusion,” the release further adds.

In 2014, the company presented data on one of its investigational devices at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s (SIR) Annual Scientific Meeting. Metactive presented findings from a pilot nonclinical study in which the company’s cerebral aneurysm embolic device demonstrated immediate and complete mechanical occlusion of a large, terminal saccular aneurysm, as well as full endothelialization and sealing of the aneurysm neck at one month. By comparison, in the same aneurysm model, treatment using widely used conventional coils did not provide immediate and complete occlusion. Compared to coiling, the procedure to place Metactive’s device took half as long, and the devices cost one-third as much.