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EkoSonic™ Ultrasound
Delivery Reduces Dose of Clot-Busting Drugs and May Lessen Risk
of Bleeding in Peripheral Thrombolysis
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January 23, 2009 -- Everyone
is familiar with drug-eluting catheter systems, used in the coronary
arteries.
Delivered as a stent, these catheters dispense drugs into the artery
to reduce blockages from recurring. But now, in a completely different
application in the leg arteries, an innovative catheter-based
ultrasound system has been shown to
reduce the
need for so-called
clot-dissolving
drugs by 50%.
Since a well-known side-effect of such drugs is bleeding,
a technology that reduces the amount
of drug needed may have significant beneficial impact on clinical
outcomes. Once the clot is dissolved, the patient can then be
treated with angioplasty, stents or medical therapy.
EkoSonic™ Endovascular
System
with Rapid Pulse™ Modulation |
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In November at
the VEITHsymposium and on Tuesday at the ISET 2009 meeting,
studies were presented and a live case was transmitted to demonstrate
how this ultrasound-enhanced delivery device, the EkoSonic™ Endovascular
System with Rapid Pulse™ Modulation, could reduce the amount
of drugs needed to break up dangerous blood clots in the legs
and pelvis.
At the VEITHsymposium, a study of 37 patients in whom tPA
was reduced due to the use of the system was presented by
Dr. Karthikeshwar Kasirajan of Emory in Atlanta.
In a live
case performed on January 20, by Constantino Peña, M.D.,
an interventional radiologist at Baptist Cardiac & Vascular
Institute in Miami, a 74-year-old male with a blocked
leg artery was treated. Dr. Peña
delivered the drug Tenecteplase (TNK) to the clot via ultrasound-accelerated
catheter-directed thrombolysis, and the clot was completely
dissolved upon examination 12 hours later. |
The TNK dose was reduced
by half the normal amount, prompting Dr. Barry Katzen, founder
and medical director
of Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, to observe that,
using EKOS accelerated thrombolysis, physicians
are often
able
to reduce the drug dose. Dr. Katzen went on to say that
most of their experience has been based on using urokinase (Abbott: Abbokinase).
He said that they have typically reduced the standard UK dose by 50% to 75%
and, therefore, have essentially eliminated the risk of bleeding – a
common concern of many physicians. With UK no longer available on the market,
they are now exploring just how low a dose of TNK may be possible with this
new technology (EKOS).
The investment community also seems to feel this technology's
time is right. Ekos just announced that it now has been funded
to $100 million which will aid in marketing this device.
About VEITHsymposium™
Now in its fourth decade, VEITHsymposium provides
vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, interventional
cardiologists and other vascular specialists with a unique and
exciting format to learn the most current information about what
is new and important in the treatment of vascular disease. The
5-day event features over 400 rapid-fire presentations from world-renowned
vascular specialists with emphasis on the latest advances, changing
concepts in diagnosis and management, pressing controversies and
new techniques. VEITHsymposium is sponsored by Cleveland Clinic
(Cleveland, OH) and took place November 19-23, 2008. The next meeting
is scheduled November 18-22, 2009. For more information, visit
www.veithsymposium.org.
About ISET 2009
Considered to be the premier meeting on endovascular
therapy, the International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET)
is attended
by more than 1,200
physicians, scientists, allied health professionals and industry
professionals from around the world. The meeting pioneered
the use of live cases
to promote the multidisciplinary treatment of cardiac and vascular
disease by endovascular means. ISET is presented by the Baptist Cardiac & Vascular
Institute, Miami. ISET 2009 is taking place Jan. 18-22 near Miami
Beach, Fla. For more information, visit www.ISET.org.
About EKOS Corporation
EKOS Corporation pioneered the development
and clinical application of microsonic technologies in medicine,
introducing its first system for the treatment of vascular thrombosis
in 2005. Today, interventional radiologists, cardiologists and vascular
surgeons at leading institutions across the nation use EKOS MicroSonic™ Accelerated
Thrombolysis (MSAT) to provide faster, safer and more complete dissolution
of thrombus. In 2008, the company introduced the 2nd generation EkoSonic™ Endovascular
System with Rapid Pulse™ Modulation. The EkoSonic System is
FDA-cleared for controlled and selective infusion of physician-specified
fluids, including thrombolytics, into the peripheral vacillator.
It is currently used to treat patients with peripheral arterial occlusions
(PAO) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and additional applications
are being investigated. Visit www.ekoscorp.com
Reported by Burt Cohen, January 23, 2009
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