Intact Vascular Inc., a developer of medical devices for minimally invasive peripheral vascular procedures, has praised the publication of the Tack Optimized Balloon Angioplasty Below the Knee (TOBA BTK) clinical trial results in the current issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Intervention.

This multi-center pilot study focused on collecting data supporting the safety and performance of the Tack Endovascular System^® in subjects with Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) due to vascular disease below the knee. Thirty-five subjects were enrolled at six sites in Europe and New Zealand in the TOBA BTK study, which targeted diseased tibial arteries for dissection repair following plain balloon angioplasty.

The analysis of the TOBA BTK data demonstrates one-year primary patency via Kaplan-Meier estimate of 77.4 percent. Additionally:

• 5 percent freedom from Clinically Driven Target Lesion Revascularization (CD-TLR)
• 5 percent freedom from Clinically Driven Target Vessel Revascularization (CD-TVR)
• 5 percent amputation-free survival (AFS).

“The number of patients being treated for critical limb ischemia is rapidly growing, making it vitally important to optimize post-angioplasty results and minimize metal burden to improve blood flow and allow wound healing” said Professor Dr. Marianne Brodmann, Head of the Clinical Division of Angiology, Medical University Graz in Austria. “I believe that the Tack Endovascular System provides a promising option to treat post-angioplasty dissection in this very challenging patient population.”

The TOBA BTK multi-center pilot study was the first known industry-sponsored study designed to investigate a permanent vascular implant in arteries below the knee for focal dissection repair. The Tack implant is a first-of-its kind device for precision dissection repair following balloon angioplasty. The system is designed to help maintain vessel integrity and improve blood flow to promote healing, improve outcomes and preserve limbs.

The system leaves a minimal amount of metal in the artery, reduces mechanical stress on the arterial wall and preserves future treatment options, according to Bruce Shook, Intact Vascular’s President and CEO. Unrepaired dissections — which are frequent following balloon angioplasty — increase the probability of acute arterial occlusion and may continue narrowing the artery, which leads to lower long-term patency rates. <

“We are very pleased with the results from the TOBA BTK study and the expanding publication of peer-reviewed clinical evidence supporting the Tack Endovascular System,” Shook said. “As we previously reported, we are on track to complete our pivotal TOBA II BTK clinical study enrollment earlier than originally planned, and we are thankful to our committed investigators who are eager to have more approved therapeutic options to treat their patients with CLI.”

Intact Vascular is sponsoring three clinical trials to evaluate its Tack Endovascular System: TOBA II, TOBA II BTK and TOBA III. TOBA II is investigating the combination of the Tack device with both plain and drug-coated balloon angioplasty in the arteries above the knee and completed enrollment in March 2017.

TOBA II BTK is investigating the combination of the Tack device with plain balloon angioplasty in the arteries below the knee and is actively enrolling patients. TOBA III has nearly completed enrollment in Europe and is investigating the combination of the Tack device with drug-coated balloon angioplasty, inclusive of long lesions.  VTN

READ MORE: intactvascular.com/actively-enrolling .