Turkish firm develops new-generation coronary stent

ISTANBUL

A Turkish firm has developed a new-generation stent system to treat heart diseases.

In a statement on Friday, Invamed-RD Global announced the launch of the Atlas Drug Released Coronary Stent System CoCr which offers "safe and comfortable treatment ... of coronary artery disease with its design and technology."

The stent system was developed at the company's Manufacturing Campus in the capital Ankara.

Coronary stents are used for angioplasty procedures during which an expandable mesh coil is placed inside an artery to remove a blockage in blood flow to the heart muscle.

The main reason for blocked arteries is a condition called atherosclerosis which forms plaque in the blood vessel as a result of the accumulation of cholesterol and various cells.

If left untreated, blocked arteries could result in a heart attack and even lead to death.

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia while the patient is awake.

The collapsed stent is carried over the guidewire on a specially-designed balloon and placed in the target area. After being placed at the right spot, the balloon is inflated and embedded in the vessel wall. Once the balloon is deflated and withdrawn, the stent is attached to the vessel wall and an opening is created, Invamed-RD Global said in the statement.

Once attached to the artery, ​​​​​​the biodegradable PLGA polymer layers allow the controlled release of sirolimus for approximately eight weeks, and the existing plaque is melted during this time, thus preventing the formation of a new plaque, it added.

The drug-polymer combination of the new-generation stent provides a better safety profile and impressive clinical results, especially in patient groups with complex and challenging features, as it significantly reduces the rates of in-stent restenosis, the statement said.