Shockwave Set to Launch C²⁺ Coronary IVL Catheter in the US

October 20, 2023—Shockwave Medical announced the planned introduction of its Shockwave C²⁺ coronary intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) catheter in the United States, with a debut set for the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) annual scientific symposium in San Francisco, October 23-26. Full commercial launch of the line is anticipated in early November.

The company says the C²⁺ catheter provides 50% more pulses per catheter than the C² iteration, which came to the United States market after approval in 2021.

“The enhancements of Shockwave C²⁺ will be an added benefit of IVL for optimally treating complex calcium, including more diffuse disease, as well as nodular and thick, eccentric calcium,” said Richard Shlofmitz, MD, in Shockwave’s press release. “When additional pulses are added to the existing intuitive catheter design and simple-to-use system that are foundational to the success of Shockwave IVL, the result is an updated catheter that can enhance workflow and improve procedural efficiency.”

Dr. Shlofmitz is Chairman of the Department of Cardiology at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, New York, and he performed the first commercial case with Shockwave C²⁺ in the United States.

Shockwave notes that the C²⁺ is commercially available for the treatment of de novo coronary artery disease in the United States, Europe, and other select markets.