CardioKinetix Completes Enrollment in Chinese Trial of Heart Failure Device

CardioKinetix Inc. has completed enrollment in Parachute China, a multi-center trial to evaluate the minimally invasive Parachute Ventricular Partitioning device for the treatment of heart failure.

“The completion of enrollment in the China study is a major milestone for CardioKinetix,” said Maria Sainz, president/CEO of CardioKinetix. “We are highly encouraged by the Chinese investigators’ enthusiasm for the Parachute device and commitment to enrolling the trial so efficiently.”

Parachute China enrolled NYHA II to ambulatory IV ischemic heart failure patients with ejection fraction 15-40 percent to support the regulatory submission for the Parachute device to the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). The primary endpoint of the study is reduction in left ventricle end systolic volume index (LVESVi) at three months, which will be analyzed at an echocardiography core lab, Yale Cardiovascular Research Group.

The principal investigator is Gao Runlin, M.D, chief cardiologist, Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Huo Yong, M.D., director of the Heart Center and Department of Cardiology PKU-1^st Hospital, and president, Chinese Society of Cardiology, and Yang Yuejin, M.D., Ph.D., vice president of Cardiovascular Institute and Fu Wai Hospital, serve as co-principal investigators.

Heart failure is a common, debilitating, and potentially deadly condition in which the heart is unable to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Symptoms of heart failure negatively impact quality of life and include shortness of breath, persistent coughing or wheezing, buildup of excess fluid in body tissues (edema), fatigue, lack of appetite or nausea, impaired thinking, and increased heart rate. More than 20 million people around the world are affected, according to industry data.

After a heart attack, many patients experience enlargement of their left ventricle causing a decrease in cardiac output, which results in heart failure symptoms such as shortness of breath. The Parachute device offers the first minimally invasive catheter-based treatment to partition the damaged muscle, excluding the non-functional heart segment from the healthy, functional segment to decrease the overall volume of the left ventricle and restore its geometry and function. The procedure is performed in the catheterization laboratory under limited sedation. Clinical data demonstrates improved overall cardiac function and quality of life for patients treated with the Parachute device.

The Parachute Ventricular Partitioning Device received CE Mark in 2011. In the United States, the Parachute system is an investigational device and is not available for sale.

Based in Menlo Park, Calif., CardioKinetix develops heart failure treatment devices. Privately held, the company is backed by U.S. Venture Partners, Tekla Healthcare Investors, Tekla Life Sciences Investors, SV Life Sciences, Panorama Capital, New Leaf Venture Partners, Lexington Private Equity, and Edwards Lifesciences.