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| Biotronik is working toward a CE mark for its DREAMS device.--Courtesy of Biotronik |
Germany's Biotronik has treated its first patient in a multi-center trial of its bioabsorbable vascular scaffold, a study aimed at winning a CE mark for the coronary artery disease-treating device.
DREAMS (DRug Eluting Absorbable Metal Scaffold) splits the difference between common absorbable implants and bare-metal stents, made up of magnesium alloy that offers the same mechanical advantages of metallic scaffolds before being harmlessly absorbed over time, the company said.
Biotronik's latest trial will study DREAMS in about 120 patients in Germany, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Brazil and Singapore, testing to see whether the device can keep vessels from contracting in patients with coronary artery disease.
Biotronik amended DREAMS' design after a pilot study, and Vascular Intervention President Daniel Buehler said the company believes the device's novel construction will prove safe and effective in treating hardening vessels.
"As a global pioneer in bioabsorbable magnesium, Biotronik has refined this technology based on physicians' input to deliver the optimal balance between vessel scaffolding, absorption profile and drug elution characteristics," Buehler said in a statement
Whenever Biotronik gets DREAMS on the overseas market, it'll face stiff competition, led by Abbott Laboratories ($ABT) and its market-leading Absorb device. And the space is only going to get more crowded: Boston Scientific ($BSX), Elixir Medical and Amaranth Medical are among the bevy of devicemakers developing similar technology.
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