Cardiovascular Researchers At The Christ Hospital Investigate New Interventional Technology To Treat Coronary Artery Disease

CINCINNATI, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --  A first-of-its-kind cardiac interventional device that dissolves after opening blocked arteries is being evaluated in a national research study led by clinical researchers at The Christ Hospital's Lindner Research Center.

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Absorb™, the first drug-eluting, fully bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS), is a new technology for the treatment of coronary artery disease. The Absorb BVS, made by health care company Abbott, is a tiny mesh tubular scaffold composed of polylactide, a biocompatible material commonly used in medical implants such as dissolvable sutures. The Absorb scaffold provides transient support to the heart vessel until normal functioning is restored and then dissolves naturally over time, leaving no metal device in the body.  

The ABSORB III trial will enroll approximately 2,250 patients, the majority in the United States. The randomized, controlled study will compare the performance of Abbott's Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold (BVS), to that of traditional drug-eluting stents. Data collected from this trial will support U.S. regulatory filings for Absorb.  

The Absorb BVS is limited to investigational use in the U.S. and is not approved or available for sale in the U.S. The device is available for sale in Europe and parts of Asia and Latin America, where more than 3,000 patients have been treated with this device through clinical trials and commercial use.  

Interventional cardiologists Charles Abbottsmith, MD, Thomas Broderick, MD, and Dean Kereiakes, MD, implanted the first Absorb scaffolds in Cincinnati at The Christ Hospital's Lindner Research Center and Heart and Vascular Center. Dean Kereiakes, MD, medical director of both the Lindner Research Center and the Heart and Vascular Center at the hospital, is the national co-primary investigator for the ABSORB trial. Dr. Kereiakes has been at the forefront of clinical research involving stenting technology for more than two decades.

"The Absorb scaffold is a fundamentally different therapy than traditional stents because it has the potential to address blockages without leaving a permanent metallic stent behind. The opportunity for the blood vessels to return to a more natural state is one of the unique features of Absorb. This may reduce risk for some patients, particularly those who may require future interventions," says Dr. Kereiakes.

About The Lindner Research Center: For the past 25 years, The Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Research and Education (Lindner Research Center) has provided leading-edge medicines and medical technology research covering a broad spectrum of conditions from obesity, diabetes, coronary disease, hypertension and hyperlipidemia to new vascular interventional devices, adult stem cell therapies, structural heart disease, cardiovascular surgery, heart failure and electrophysiology. Physicians at the Lindner Research Center have conducted more than 1,200 clinical trials including multiple first-in-man and first-in-the-U.S procedures, which have contributed to best practice standards for the care of patients. For information on current trials, please visit www.LindnerResearch.com.  

About The Christ Hospital Health Network: The Christ Hospital Health Network is a regional system of care that extends The Christ Hospital's nearly 125 years of superior care and leadership to more than 100 locations in the Greater Cincinnati area. The Network delivers integrated, individualized healthcare and wellness services through its comprehensive physician network, advanced specialty services and the region's leading hospital. Its mission is to provide the finest patient experience and improve the health of the community. To learn more about its locations and award-winning services, visit TheChristHospital.com.

CONTACT: 
Michael Beauchat
513-585-4900
[email protected]

Jenn Corrigan
732-742-7148
[email protected]

SOURCE The Christ Hospital