CE Mark Granted to Phoenix Cardiac’s BACE Device

Phoenix Cardiac Devices Inc., an innovator in cardiovascular medical device research and development, has received CE Mark for its BACE (Basal Annuloplasty of the Cardia Externally) device, a novel modality for the treatment of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). BACE is the only surgical device with long-term clinical data demonstrating significant benefit by addressing the root cause of FMR. The CE Mark serves as approval by the European Union (EU) to commercialize BACE. The supporting clinical data, showing significant efficacy in reduction of MR grade and size of the left ventricle that was sustained out to 24 months,¹ was presented at the virtual American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) 101st annual meeting in April.
 
“The CE Mark validates the promise of our BACE device as a safe, less invasive, and cost-effective approach to the potential treatment of functional mitral regurgitation,” said Gopal Muppirala, cofounder, president and CEO of Phoenix Cardiac Inc. “This important milestone gives Phoenix Cardiac fresh momentum to our efforts to secure a partner for a second clinical study of the BACE device as we pursue a potential indication for heart failure.”
 
BACE is designed to be far less invasive than current treatment protocols of mitral valve repair or replacement because the device sits outside the heart, eliminating the need for open-heart surgery or a cardiac bypass machine, thereby minimizing the duration of hospital stays. Additional benefits of the BACE device include no direct contact with blood flow, thus limiting the risk of thrombosis, stroke, and infection that commonly occur with devices implanted within the heart, as well as reducing the need for supporting medications such as anti-coagulants. Real-time assessment of efficacy with an echocardiogram allows for easy adjustment of the inflatable chambers of the BACE device to ensure optimal fit of the device around the heart immediately post-surgery, while facilitating maintenance of the fit and related efficacy over time.
 
“The BACE device is a potential game-changer in functional mitral regurgitation, a disease area sorely lacking in innovation since the standard of care was approved more than 50 years ago,” commented Jan Hlavicka, M.D., Ph.D., at the University Hospital Clinic for Cardiovascular Surgery at Göethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and one of the investigators in the pivotal study supporting the CE Mark designation. “BACE can be easily adjusted post-operatively, if necessary, in an outpatient setting without any additional surgery, and does not preclude further valvular intervention if required. The fact that BACE has been implanted in over 60 patients, and that its first recipient has successfully completed 10 years post-implant, speaks to its considerable promise.”
 
FMR (functional mitral valve regurgitation) occurs when blood leaks backward through the mitral valve into the left atrium each time the ventricle contracts, due to abnormal function of the heart muscle. This leads to increased blood volume and pressure in the left atrium. The result is a damming of blood in the lungs, causing shortness of breath and other debilitating symptoms. To maintain forward blood flow, the ventricle must pump harder, leading to enlargement of the left ventricle, setting in motion the progressive downward spiral toward serious and potentially life-threatening complications such as congestive heart failure. FMR is different from leaking of the mitral valve when the valve is structurally abnormal. All current treatment modalities for mitral regurgitation address abnormalities of the valve. There are no specific devices to address Functional Mitral Regurgitation. FMR affects more than 2 percent of the global population,² including approximately five in 10,000 individuals in the United States,³ and has a prevalence that increases with age.²
 
The mission of Phoenix Cardiac Devices Inc. is to design, develop, and market new and innovative patented technologies in the cardiac medical device field. Each technology will fulfill a currently unmet need in cardiovascular medical procedures by improving upon existing technology, or by designing a device to serve a need that is clearly defined and acknowledged by medical professionals. Phoenix Cardiac Devices, Inc. was founded in 2012 by Muppirala and Chief Scientific Officer Jai Raman, MBBS, MMed, FRACS, Ph.D., an academic cardiothoracic surgeon and inventor of the BACE (Basal Annuloplasty of the Cardia Externally) device, a novel modality for the treatment of functional mitral regurgitation. The company has offices in Cary, N.C., and Hyderabad, India.
 
References
¹ Data on file.  
² Douedi S, Douedi H. Mitral regurgitation. [Updated March 10, 2021]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing; 2021. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553135/. Accessed April 14, 2021.
³ Hanson I. Mitral regurgitation. Medscape; 2018. Available at: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/155618‐overview#a2. Accessed April 14, 2021.