A Revolutionary Treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
What is Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)?
PAD is a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the extremities – generally affecting one or both legs. It is caused when the inner lining of arteries located outside of the heart get damaged by factors such as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, elevated triglyceride levels, and/or diabetes. Once vessels are damaged, plaque can form and build up, which causes arteries to narrow (atherosclerosis). The most common symptom of PAD is leg pain which can range from mild discomfort to debilitating pain – making walking and other physical activities difficult.
PAD affects an estimated 8 to 10 million people in the US, and 200 million people worldwide 1
Treating PAD: An Unmet Need
Many medical devices have been developed in recent decades to treat PAD. The most commonly used treatments include angioplasty, stenting, and drug-coated devices. However, an unmet need still exists for PAD treatment because of the failure rates and need for reintervention or operation associated with these therapies.
Greater than 60% failure rate of balloon angioplasty after 12 months 1
Studies have shown that balloon angioplasty and stenting have high failure rates after only a year or two in patients with PAD. Stenting the arteries that pass through the knees can also be problematic due to a high risk of complications stemming from stent fracture, artery damage, and implant-related artery inflammation that leads to arterial re-narrowing and a need for re-treatment.
Reference:
1. Caradu, Caroline et al. Systematic review and updated meta-analysis of the use of drug-coated balloon angioplasty versus plain old balloon angioplasty for femoropopliteal arterial disease. Journal of Vascular Surgery. Volume 70, Issue 3, 981-995.e10.
Alucent Biomedical is focused on improving long-term clinical outcomes and solving the problems associated with conventional PAD treatments with the vessel-restoring power of Natural Vascular Scaffolding (NVS) therapy.
A Revolutionary Treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
How It Works
Pre-Treatment
Standard balloon angioplasty is performed to pre-treat the vessel.
Small Molecule Compound Delivery
The NVS photoactivable small molecule compound is delivered to the diseased arterial wall, where it quickly penetrates into and through the arterial wall.
Light Activation
The NVS light fiber is activated. The light source photoactivates the small molecule compound that has permeated into the arterial tissues, creating durable linking within the vessel’s native connective tissue.
Completion
The natural scaffold is created and the vessel lumen is restored. The balloon and catheter are removed and standard interventional methods are followed to finalize the procedure.