The project "Translational development of a medical device to treat microvascular obstruction in heart attack patients" is in cooperation with Prof. Dominik Obrist (University of Bern, ARTORG Center of Biomedical Engineering Research), Prof. André Bernard (University of Applied Sciences Buchs NTB), Prof. Sebastian Kozerke (University and ETH Zurich, Inst. for Biomedical Engineering), Dr.med.vet. Nikola Cesarovic (University Hospital Zürich, Division of Surgical Research) and Prof. Marco Valgimigli (Bern University Hospital, Inselspital).
The project lead Prof. Obrist said: "We are grateful that Innosuisse recognised our vision for the technology’s potential to be moved to the next stage, by providing funding for the project at this pivotal stage. With the financial contributions from Innosuisse and CorFlow, the project will allow us to further deepen our understanding of the coronary microcirculation. The unique, interdisciplinary research consortium brings together unique capabilities in magnetic resonance imaging, circulatory modelling, non-clinical research and clinical trials which will be instrumental to bring the CorFlow technology into the hands of clinicians and to impact patient care".
Prof. Valgimigli, who is the principal investigator of the First-in-Man (FIM) clinical trial to be conducted in Switzerland, commented: "Microvascular obstruction is an unmet need for acute heart attack patients and we have to date not had tools to promptly diagnose it and treat it in patients after stent placement. We are excited to join the consortium and take the lead on the clinical implementation of the CorFlow technology".
In addition to the Innosuisse grant, CorFlow is contributing substantial funds for the continued technical and clinical development of the first generation CorFlow Controlled Flow Infusion (CoFITM) console and rapid exchange (RX) catheter. The dossier for the FIM clinical trial called MOCA I (Microvascular Obstruction with the CoFI System Assessment) has been submitted for approval to Swiss authorities. The Company targets enrolment of the first patient in the MOCA I trial in 2019 and will provide regular updates on the progress of the study.
Jon H. Hoem, CorFlow’s CEO and co-Founder, commented: "The continued and substantial support from Innosuisse is very welcome and the project will form the basis for a Swiss expert centre studying the human microcirculation. Further non-clinical and clinical research are needed to deepen our understanding of the human microcirculation and CorFlow is pleased to be a part of these efforts. We look forward to continue and expand our cooperation with scientists world-wide who share our passion for a deeper understanding of effective treatments of microvascular dysfunction which affects hundreds of thousands of patients every year".
CorFlow Therapeutics (www.corflow-therapeutics.ch) is incorporated in Baar, Switzerland, and is developing proprietary technologies to measure the coronary microvascular status and provide therapy to the compromised coronary microcirculation at the same time in the catheter laboratory. Microvascular obstruction (MVO) after an acute heart attack is documented to be an independent marker leading to costly complications such as heart failure. The CorFlow technologies will enable interventional cardiologists to treat MVO in severe heart attack patients thereby potentially reducing the short- and long-term complication rates in these patients.
Caution: The CorFlow Controlled Flow Infusion (CoFITM) technology is in the early phases of development. It will not be available in Europe, the US or Japan for clinical trials until further notice and is NOT available for sale. This news release contains certain “forward-looking” statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These “forward-looking” statements, which may include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the projections, financial condition, results of operations and businesses of CorFlow are based on management’s current expectations and estimates and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences may include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the protection of intellectual property, changes to governmental regulation of medical devices, European or US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of new products, the impact of competitive products, changes to the competitive environment, the acceptance of new products in the market, conditions of the interventional cardiology industry and the economy and other factors.
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