Medtronic has announced the upcoming launch of its silicone Ascenda Catheter for use with the company’s SynchroMed II programmable baclofen injection pump. Baclofen injection (Lioresal Intrathecal) is an option over oral administration of the drug for patients with severe spasticity.
The SynchroMed II pump is implanted below the skin and the Ascenda Catheter snakes from the device to the intrathecal space that surrounds the spinal cord. By directly delivering the medication to the spinal cord, side effects from the baclofen can be substantially reduced.
• The Ascenda™ Catheter was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an innovation to improve the durability and ease of medication delivery for both Medtronic Targeted Drug Delivery and Medtronic Intrathecal Baclofen (ITB) TherapySM.
• Ascenda is a key component of the implantable SynchroMed® II system, a battery-powered programmable pump that delivers medication through a catheter directly to the fluid surrounding the spinal cord for potential relief with less medication and fewer side effects than oral treatments.
• The unique combination of a robust polymer braided design, increased anchoring strength, and an enhanced, tactile catheter connection make the Ascenda Catheter the most robust and reliable catheter available.
Links: Medtronic’s Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy; SynchroMed II Programmable Infusion Pump