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Somahlution Announces CE Mark and European Launch of DuraGraft® Vascular Conduit Solution
[September 22, 2014]

Somahlution Announces CE Mark and European Launch of DuraGraft® Vascular Conduit Solution


JUPITER, Fla. --(Business Wire)--

Somahlution today announced today that it has received European market (CE) approval for DuraGraft, the first-in-class Endothelial Damage Inhibitor (EDI) that uniquely protects vascular endothelium function and its associated architecture. DuraGraft, used as a vascular conduit solution, is a pivotal step in successful coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and peripheral bypass surgeries.

"Despite advances in medical management and surgical techniques, there has been little improvement in bypass outcomes. Vein graft failure (VGF) remains one of the leading causes of poor-in-hospital and long-term outcomes after CABG and Peripheral bypass surgeries. Recent studies show that the 12-month CABG VGF and Peripheral bypass VGF rates are 46% and 61% respectively. These failures most often lead to additional surgeries, further interventions or increased medical management, resulting in increased morbidity and high healthcare costs," said Satish Chandran, Ph.D., Somahlution's Chief Executive Officer. There are currently more than 1.5 million bypass procedures performed in Europe and the United States alone that require viable vascular conduits.

Leading experts have shown that preserving the structure and function of vascular endothelium is critical for reducing VGF rates and for improving long-term outcomes in both CABG and Peripheral bypass surgeries. Researchers from Duke Clinical Research Institute evaluated the impact of vascular conduit storage solutions on VGF rates and clinical outcomes through a sub-analysis of data from the prospective, randomized Prevent-IV trial, one of the largest studies conducted to date evaluating VGF following CABG surgery. The results demonstrated that the single variable, graft preservation solution, significantly affected both VGF rates and clinical outcomes; standard of care solutions that are not approved for vascular conduit preservation such as, saline and blood-based solutions, performed poorly and were associated with statistically higher VGF rates and poorer clinical outcomes compared to patients whose grafts were stored in a "buffered-type solution" such as DuraGrat.



Data from a Somahlution-sponsored clinical study that tested DuraGraft head-to-head against a saline-based solution, demonstrated that DuraGraft used in CABG surgery was associated with significantly improved clinical outcomes relative to patients whose vascular conduits were stored in a standard of care solution (heparin-dosed saline). The 600 patient study evaluated the Impact of DuraGraft in both short-term and long-term clinical outcomes in patients undergoing first-time CABG surgery. DuraGraft, when compared to the saline group, demonstrated improved clinical outcomes and was shown to reduce myocardial infarction rates by 53%, repeat revascularization by 48% and mortality by 18%. "Improvements associated with the use of DuraGraft will likely result in improved VGF rates and quality of life for patients," said Satish Chandran, Ph.D., Somahlution's Chief Executive Officer.

Chandran said that DuraGraft is a simple to use, pH and osmotically balanced sterile solution containing salts, antioxidants and other components that are pro-endothelial conditioning and pro-vasomotor function preserving. DuraGraft is intended for the preservation, storage and flushing of vascular conduits prior to grafting in vascular surgeries. It is a premeasured, ready-to-use solution that is manufactured under cGMP conditions that may help to minimize the risks associated with the use of pharmacy compounded solutions that are not subjected to rigorous manufacturing controls of a cGMP process.


"When used properly, DuraGraft does not interrupt or modify the existing surgical procedure or impact the length of the procedure," said Chandran. "DuraGraft solution is manufactured using USP/EP grade materials, in a controlled environment under cGMP in an ISO 13485 certified facility for maximum quality control to ensure patient safety."

Somahlution's Chairman Dr. Vithalbhai Dhaduk, a practicing physician added, "There is a significant unmet need for new technologies designed specifically to improve vein graft performance. The future success of coronary artery bypass surgery in managing cardiovascular diseases and improving patient outcomes is dependent on it. Despite over 50 years of CABG surgery, this pivotal step in the process of maintaining vascular conduit health had gone unnoticed until now. As the data now indicates, DuraGraft's role in bypass surgery is a critical one, cementing the gaps and in delivering better outcomes to patients."

DuraGraft, Invented by Dr. Hemant Thatte of Harvard, was licensed to Somahlution by the Veteran's Administration.

Somahlution will officially launch DuraGraft in Europe at the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) 28th Annual Meeting in Milan, Italy in October 2014 - Booth #22.

DuraGraft is currently not commercially available in the US.

About Somahlution, Inc.

Somahlution is a global leader in the development and commercialization of innovative, high value-added solutions to advance clinical performance, define standard of care and improve patient outcomes. Using patented and proprietary technologies, Somahlution is dedicated to providing medical products focused on Ischemia Reperfusion Injury (IRI) to improve healthcare delivery to patients around the world. The company's flagship product, DuraGraft, is the first Endothelial Damage Inhibitor (EDI) developed to address the pivotal step of vascular conduit handling and storage in bypass and vascular surgeries. For more information on the company please visit www.somahlution.com or www.thesolutionmatters.com.


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