TUCSON, Ariz. – Jan. 6, 2015 – SynCardia Systems, Inc. has received FDA approval to conduct a clinical study of the effectiveness of the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart for permanent use, also called destination therapy.
On December 18, 2014, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the SynCardia Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application to conduct the study in 19 patients who do not qualify for a donor heart transplant.
“The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is already FDA-approved as a bridge to a donor heart transplant.” says Michael P. Garippa, President and CEO of SynCardia Systems, Inc. “This is an important step for SynCardia to advance the use of the Total Artificial Heart to a new group of patients who are not currently eligible for a donor heart.”
“The study will generate data on the effective use of the SynCardia Heart in these patients as a way for them to recover from heart failure and continue with a near-normal lifestyle,” Garippa added.
Clinically stable patients implanted with the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart will receive the FDA-approved Freedom® portable driver, which powers the SynCardia Heart and allows patients increased mobility. The high volume of blood flow provided by the SynCardia Heart, combined with the mobility provided by the Freedom portable driver, is designed to allow patients who were once near death to enjoy a full life at home and in their communities.
The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is implanted in patients who are dying of end-stage biventricular heart failure in which the two ventricles of the native heart cannot pump enough blood for the patient to survive.
Similar to a donor heart transplant, the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart replaces the native heart’s two failed ventricles and four valves. It is the only approved device that eliminates the source of end-stage biventricular heart failure.
Because of the growing demand for donor hearts, and the flat supply, many patients live for months or years supported by the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart. The longest a person has lived with the SynCardia Heart was 1,374 days—nearly four years—before his donor heart was successfully transplanted.
The 70cc SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is FDA approved for use as a bridge to transplant.
Caution: The 70cc SynCardia Total Artificial Heart, when used for destination therapy, is an investigational device, limited by United States law to investigational use.