Conventional coronary artery stenting involves quite a few steps: advancing a guidewire, dilating the lesion with a balloon, removing the balloon catheter, then doing the actual stenting. Svelte Medical Systems, Inc.’s All-in-One Drug-Eluting System is designed to make the process much more straightforward by incorporating the guidewire, balloon, and stent itself into one assembly that is advanced en bloc. The firm claims that this system can save 10 minutes and $500 per procedure, which really adds up in a busy cath lab.
In addition to the streamlined deployment process, this new product features a drug delivery system by DSM Biomedical that elutes sirolimus in a novel way. According to the company, by using enzyme-mediated “bioerosion,” the agent is degraded in a “controlled, biocompatible, natural and nontoxic” way.
“Our proprietary bioerodible drug carrier is suitable to deliver a range of active pharmaceutical agents including preventative blood clotting agents, immunosuppressants and a variety of other drugs… This drug carrier markedly improves the way active compounds are delivered from stent systems,” said Donato DiBiase, Global Business Director, Drug Delivery, DSM Biomedical.
Of note, this system is not yet approved by the FDA for use in the U.S.
