Next Generation Flow Diverter for the Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms Delivering Improved Patient Outcomes and Healthcare Cost Savings

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Each year ~51,000 EU citizens suffer a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) resulting from the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm (IA), of whom 40% will die and 40% will suffer severe disabilities. However, SAH’s are entirely avoidable through treatment of ‘at risk’ unruptured IAs. Existing treatment options include: surgical clipping, an invasive, risky and expensive procedure but delivering excellent long-term resolution; and endovascular coiling, a cheaper and lower risk minimally invasive procedure but delivering poorer long-term resolution. Flow diverters (FDs) are an emerging endovascular device that divert blood flow away from the aneurysm thereby enabling natural healing. Whilst offering the potential of excellent long-term resolution at low risk and cost, existing FDs have failed to live up to expectations, reporting performance inferior to coiling. Limitations of existing FD’s are inherent to their mesh design that causes weak and non-uniform radial forces resulting in poor vessel apposition, variable porosity and device coning. Existing delivery systems also restrict use due to extension of the central guidewire during delivery. OxiFlow is a unique FD design based on origami principles and made from a shape memory Nitinol material. The innovative design enables optimum and uniform radial forces thereby overcoming the limitations of existing FDs. Furthermore, OxiFlow utilises a novel delivery system enabling complete user control of the central guidewire extension and thus use in small and tortuous vessels. OXIFLOW will evaluate safety and performance of the OxiFlow device through a 10-patient First-in-Man (FIM) study. Project activities include: device design freeze, transfer to pilot scale manufacture, pre-clinical testing; regulatory and ethical approvals; and FIM study implementation. The addressable EU & US market for OxiFlow is estimated at €463M. OE target €40.02M business growth over a 5-year period generating €73.56M cumulative revenues.