Registry Data Presented for Neovasc's Reducer to Treat Refractory Angina

May 21, 2013—Neovasc Inc. (Vancouver, BC) reported initial data from open-label patient registries that are tracking the progress of refractory angina patients implanted with the Neovasc Reducer. The percutaneous Reducer device, which has received CE Mark approval for the treatment of refractory angina, provides relief from symptoms by altering blood flow in the coronary sinus vein and thereby increasing perfusion of oxygenated blood to certain areas of the heart muscle.

Professor Shmuel Banai, MD, presented the data at EuroPCR 2013 in Paris, France. Prof. Banai is NeoVasc's Medical Director and is also Associate Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and Director of Interventional Cardiology at Tel Aviv Medical Center.

According to the company, the 6-month follow-up data from 15 registry patients showed that their angina and physical disability were significantly improved after Reducer implantation. Among other measures, patients were assessed on the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) grading scale, which is widely used to describe and classify the severity of effort-related angina. Despite the small size of this sample, the change in CCS scores was statistically significant compared to baseline (P ≤ .001). Subsets of patients who received stress thallium and echo dobutamine testing also showed significant improvement with the Reducer, reported NeoVasc.

“We consider these results very encouraging. In these initial Registry patients, quality of life improved as average angina scores were substantially reduced, signaling a significant improvement in their ability to engage in daily activities without limiting chest pain,” commented Professor Banai in the company's press release. “We also are seeing significant improvements in stress-related objective imaging measures, as well as trends suggesting that improvements in treadmill stress testing results will reach significance as our Registry population continues to grow. Consistent with other experience to date, the Reducer appears very safe, with no reports of serious safety issues.”