FDA approves device to treat heart failure patients

The US Food and Drug Administration has given approval for a new device that would help treat patients with life-threatening heart failure, and address an unmet need in patients who fail to get adequate benefits from standard treatments and have no alternative treatment options.

The Optimizer Smart system is comprised of several components, including an implantable pulse generator, battery charger, programmer and software. The pulse generator is implanted under the skin in the upper left or right area of the chest and connected to three leads that are implanted in the heart.

After the device is implanted, a physician tests and programmes the device, which delivers electrical impulses to the heart during regular heartbeats to help improve the heart's squeezing capability.

The device would be beneficial for patients not suited to treatment with other heart failure devices such as cardiac resynchronisation therapy to restore a normal timing pattern of the heartbeat, the US FDA noted in a statement.

"Patients with moderate-to-severe chronic heart failure have limited treatment options. And for those who are unable to be treated due to underlying conditions or who have not responded to available treatments, their quality of life may be impacted, with limits on the types of physical activities they can do," said Bram Zuckerman, Director at FDA's Centre for Devices and Radiological Health.

"The FDA recognised the unmet need for these patients and worked with the manufacturer...to efficiently bring this product to market, while ensuring it meets our regulatory requirements for safety and effectiveness," Zuckerman added.

For the study, the US FDA evaluated data from two clinical trials with a total of 389 patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure.

All patients received optimal medical therapy and 191 patients also received an Optimizer Smart system implant.

The Optimizer Smart system improves quality of life and functional status of certain heart failure patients.

The health body has granted approval of the Optimizer Smart system to US-based Impulse Dynamics.

--IANS

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