Peripheral Artery Disease News and Research

RSS

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs when leg arteries become narrowed or blocked by plaque. These blockages can result in severe pain for patients, limited physical mobility, and life-threatening non-healing leg ulcers. According to the American Heart Association, this condition affects approximately 8 to 12 million Americans. With only about 25 percent of PAD patients undergoing treatment, it is a disease that is largely under-diagnosed and under-treated. If left untreated, PAD can lead to critical leg ischemia, a condition where not enough blood is being delivered to the leg to keep the tissue alive. Total loss of circulation to the legs and feet can cause gangrene and lead to amputation.

Hospitals with higher diagnosis frequency for chronic conditions have lower case-fatality rate

An examination of data for more than 5 million Medicare beneficiaries finds that hospital regions that have a greater frequency of diagnoses have a lower case-fatality rate for chronic conditions such as coronary artery disease and kidney failure, according to a study in the March 16 issue of JAMA.

16 Mar 2011

Wnt1 protein can improve function of endothelial progenitor cells

Circulating through the bloodstream of every human being is a rare and powerful type of cell, one that can actually create new blood vessels to bypass blockages that cause heart attacks and peripheral artery disease.

10 Mar 2011

Avinger completes patient enrollment in CONNECT trial to treat CTOs linked with PAD

Avinger, Inc., medical device manufacturer of innovative, multi-functional catheters for treating patients with peripheral artery disease, announced that it has successfully completed enrollment in its CONNECT clinical trial.

10 Mar 2011

Talecris granted EU orphan drug designation for Plasmin (human) to treat acute peripheral arterial occlusion

Talecris Biotherapeutics, Inc. (TLCR) announced today that it has been granted orphan drug designation by the European Commission for the development of Plasmin (human) to treat acute peripheral arterial occlusion (aPAO). Talecris is currently investigating Plasmin in a phase II clinical trial designed to assess its ability to treat aPAO, a condition in which arterial blood flow to the extremities, usually the legs, is blocked by a clot.

4 Mar 2011

Pluristem's PLX cells exhibit potential to treat accidental and intentionally induced muscle injuries

Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. and the Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), in cooperation with the Charite - University of Medicine in Berlin,today announced the results of a pre-clinical study demonstrating that the local administration of PLX cells following muscle injury resulted in significant improvement in the recovery of muscle function when compared with the control group. This

2 Mar 2011

Genetic switch increases blood vessels in skeletal muscle of non-exercising mice

Many people suffer from a devastating condition known as critical limb ischemia (CLI) that can lead to muscle wasting and even amputation. The disease is linked to the blockage of blood flow to the skeletal muscle and current treatment options include rehabilitative exercise and surgical bypass of blood vessels. New preclinical research suggests there may be a way to restore blood supply in skeletal muscle without traditional intervention.

2 Mar 2011

Human umbilical cord blood-derived EPCs accelerate wound healing in diabetics

Transplanting human umbilical cord blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has been found to "significantly accelerate" wound closure in diabetic mouse models, said a team of Korean researchers publishing in the current issue of Cell Transplantation.

23 Feb 2011

FDA approves GORE VIABAHN device to treat peripheral artery disease

W. L. Gore & Associates today announced it has received FDA approval for the GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with Heparin Bioactive Surface on a lower profile delivery system.

17 Feb 2011

Boston Scientific acquires novel technologies for treatment of peripheral chronic total occlusions

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the acquisition of two novel technologies to treat peripheral chronic total occlusions (CTOs). These acquisitions add technology platforms that complement the Company's world-class portfolio of devices for lower extremity peripheral artery disease.

16 Feb 2011

Pervasis' Vascugel granted Fast Track review status for prevention of hemodialysis access failure in ESRD patients

Pervasis Therapeutics announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track review status for Vascugel® for the prevention of hemodialysis access failure in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD).

9 Feb 2011

Women with PAD may lose ability to walk, climb stairs sooner than men: Researchers

Small calf muscles may be a feminine trait, but for women with peripheral artery disease they're a major disadvantage. Researchers at Northwestern Medicine point to the smaller calf muscles of women as a gender difference that may cause women with PAD to experience problems walking and climbing stairs sooner and faster than men with the disease.

5 Feb 2011

Disparities in limb salvage procedures may be driven by SES, access to high-volume hospitals

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA have published a study in the February Journal of Vascular Surgery stating that disparities in limb salvage procedures may be driven by socioeconomic status and access to high-volume hospitals.

29 Jan 2011

Abbott fourth quarter worldwide sales increase 13.4% to nearly $10 billion

Abbott today announced financial results for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2010.

27 Jan 2011

Merck provides additional information about DSMB recommendations for vorapaxar TRA-2P study

Merck reported today that investigators in the TRA-2P study of vorapaxar have been provided with additional information about the recommendations of the Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) regarding the TRA-2P study. The additional information was sent yesterday in a communication to investigators from the Operations Committee of the TRA-2P study of vorapaxar. Vorapaxar is one of Merck's investigational cardiovascular medicines.

20 Jan 2011

Pluristem completes parallel scientific advisory process with EMA and FDA for PLX-PAD clinical development

Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the successful completion of a parallel scientific advisory process with the European Medical Agencies (EMA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the Company's planned clinical development program for PLX-PAD.

19 Jan 2011

New GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis is now available in Europe

W. L. Gore & Associates today announced the European availability of the GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis on a lower profile delivery system. The announcement came during the Leipzig Interventional Course in Germany, where European interventionalists gathered to discuss new approaches in treating patients suffering from peripheral artery disease.

19 Jan 2011

Merck announces changes in vorapaxar clinical studies

Merck today provided the following statement on the changes to the clinical studies for vorapaxar, one of the Company's investigational cardiovascular medicines, following an announcement from the two academic centers leading the studies of vorapaxar.

14 Jan 2011

Vermillion receives USPTO patent for PAD biomarker

Vermillion, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company, today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued patent number 7,867,719 entitled "Beta-2 microglobulin as a biomarker for peripheral artery disease" to the Company.

12 Jan 2011

Avinger raises $25 million for catheter development and commercialization

Avinger, Inc., medical device manufacturer of innovative, multi-functional catheters for treating peripheral artery disease (PAD), recently completed a $25 million Series B round of funding from a syndicate of highly successful entrepreneurs and executives.