NORTH CHICAGO (dpa-AFX) - Abbott Laboratories (ABT) Thursday said it began ESPRIT I clinical trial in Europe to evaluate the safety and performance of Esprit drug eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold or BVS for the treatment of blockages in the superficial femoral arteries and iliac arteries that result in claudication or leg pain upon walking.
The Esprit drug eluting BVS is made of polylactide, the same biocompatible material used in its Absorb drug eluting BVS for coronary artery disease.
Claudication is the most common symptom in patients with peripheral artery disease, and is associated with diminished physical activity and poor quality of life for patients.
Abbott said Esprit is designed to restore blood flow by opening a blocked vessel and providing support until it is healed. Once the vessel can remain open without the extra support, the scaffold is designed to dissolve, leaving the vessel free of a permanent metallic implant.
The trial is designed as single-arm, multi-center trial designed to evaluate the safety and performance of the Esprit therapy in approximately 30 patients with claudication resulting from PAD of the SFA or iliac arteries. Up to 10 clinical trial sites in Europe will participate in the trial.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2011 AFX News
