US-based CardioKinetix has announced the successful treatment of first two Chinese heart failure patients with its Parachute ventricular partitioning device, a minimally invasive treatment for patients with heart failure caused by damage to the heart muscle following a heart attack.
According to the company, the CE Mark approved 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 reduce the overall volume of the left ventricle and restore its geometry and function.
CardioKinetix president and CEO Maria Sainz said these initial cases in China mark another key milestone in the company's journey to bring Parachute to heart failure patients around the world.
"China represents a key strategic opportunity for the company as we further our international expansion," Sainz added.
CardioKinetix obtained CE Mark for the Parachute ventricular partitioning device in 2011.
The Parachute system is an investigational device in the US and is not available for sale in the country.
Currently, the company is enrolling patients in the US pivotal trial, PARACHUTE IV, for the Parachute device.