Endoscopic AXIOS Stent System for Pancreatic Pseudocysts Gets European Approval

There is a hope for patients and clinicians who are treating pancreatic pseudocysts, a terrible and debilitating condition in patients recovering from acute pancreatitis. Xlumena of Mountain View, California won the CE Mark for its AXIOS Stent and Delivery System, an endoscopic ultrasound-guided translumenal system. By performing a minimally invasive procedure with AXIOS, physicians can establish a drainage conduit for pseudocysts, potentially decreasing chances for complications, such as secondary infections or bleeding.
From the announcement:

“The AXIOS Stent opens up a frontier of new treatments in and around the gastrointestinal tract. Not only does the AXIOS Stent create a large, secure drainage pathway – equivalent to a surgical anastomosis – it also provides an access port to pass the endoscope into the duct or lumen cavity for targeted therapy. This technology has the potential to expand the role of endoscopy in treating a variety of disorders of the pancreatic and biliary system,” stated Kenneth Binmoeller, MD, Director of Interventional Endoscopy Services at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, California.
Unlike tubular stents used for bile and pancreatic duct drainage, the AXIOS Stent is designed to hold two lumens in apposition for translumenal drainage. The bilateral anchors of the AXIOS Stent prevent movement and migration and the large-diameter Stent lumen ensures drainage. The AXIOS is fully covered to prevent leakage across the stent and tissue ingrowth and facilitate removal. The AXIOS Stent comes pre-loaded in a specially-designed Delivery System and is easily deployed by a single operator.
The AXIOS Stent is fully-covered, self-expandable and available in multiple lumen diameters (15mm, 10mm, 8mm and 6mm) and lengths (10mm, 6mm and 4mm) to ensure a custom fit. The Delivery System is ergonomic and allows the interventional endoscopist to control and precisely deliver the AXIOS to the intended target using a single hand.

Press release: Xlumena Receives CE Mark for Revolutionary AXIOS™ Stent and Delivery System
Link: Xlumena homepage…