Breakthrough treatment successful for blocked arteries
The world's first clinical trial of a new treatment for patients with blocked coronary arteries has shown the novel approach to be safe with promising success rates.
The involved 20 patients with a coronary artery completely blocked by plaque, a condition called chronic total occlusion (CTO). Each patient received an injection of an investigational drug called MZ-004, an enzyme that softens the plaque over a 24 hour period so that a traditional angioplasty may be performed by advancing a guide-wire through the otherwise impenetrable blockage, then inserting a stent to re-open the artery and restoring blood flow.
Fifteen subjects, or 75 per cent, were able to successfully undergo angioplasty despite previous failed attempts. The findings are poised to change the way patients with blocked arteries are treated throughout the world, with a large multi-site, international clinical trial to begin later this year.
"Due to the traditionally low success rate of angioplasty in patients with completely blocked arteries, many patients turn to bypass surgery or treatment with medications alone," says Dr. Bradley Strauss, principal investigator and Chief of Schulich Heart Centre at Sunnybrook, who developed the novel formulation and approach." This treatment provides patients with the option of receiving angioplasty, rather than having more invasive treatment with bypass surgery or living with pain and discomfort."
For patient Louis Waldman, a 49 year-old police officer and father of five, a successful angioplasty after receiving collagenase in March 2011 had immediate results.
"I was feeling tired and worn out and a trip to my family doctor revealed that I had a clogged right artery. After one angioplasty attempt that didn't work, I found Dr. Strauss," says Waldman. "My discomfort went away almost immediately after the successful angioplasty. I could breathe and had no chest pains. It's a vast improvement, I'm pretty much back to normal."
Full media release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
BREAKTHROUGH TREATMENT FOUND TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR PATIENTS WITH BLOCKED ARTERIES
TORONTO, ON (January 24, 2012) – The world’s first clinical trial of a new treatment for
patients with blocked coronary arteries has shown the novel approach to be safe with
promising success rates.
The study involved 20 patients with a coronary artery completely blocked by plaque, a
condition called chronic total occlusion (CTO). Each patient received an injection of an
investigational drug called MZ-004, an enzyme that softens the plaque over a 24-hour
period so that a traditional angioplasty may be performed by advancing a guide-wire
through the otherwise impenetrable blockage, then inserting a stent to re-open the artery
and restoring blood flow.
Fifteen subjects, or 75 per cent, were able to successfully undergo angioplasty despite
previous failed attempts. Published in the journal Circulation and funded by the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the findings are poised to change the way
patients with blocked arteries are treated throughout the world, with a large multi-site,
international clinical trial to begin later this year.
“Due to the traditionally low success rate of angioplasty in patients with completely
blocked arteries, many patients turn to bypass surgery or treatment with medications
alone,” says Dr. Bradley Strauss, principal investigator and Chief of Schulich Heart
Centre at Sunnybrook, who developed the novel formulation and approach. “This
treatment provides patients with the option of receiving angioplasty, rather than having
more invasive treatment with bypass surgery or living with pain and discomfort.”
Currently approximately 20 per cent of patients having an angiogram are diagnosed with
chronic total occlusions. Of this number, less than 10 per cent have angioplasty, with
approximately 25 per cent receiving bypass surgery and the remaining 65 per cent
presumably on medication alone.
“Although not all patients with chronic total occlusions need to have an angioplasty to
open up the blockage, those who experience chest pain and have difficulty breathing may
be able benefit greatly,” adds Dr. Strauss, also a Professor of Medicine at the University
of Toronto and the founder of Matrizyme Pharma Corporation, the company responsible
for the development of the drug. “In fact, successful angioplasty can relieve the
symptoms almost immediately and significantly improve quality of life.”
For patient Louis Waldman, a 49-year-old police officer and father of five, a successful
angioplasty after receiving collagenase in March 2011 had immediate results. “I was
feeling tired and worn out and a trip to my family doctor revealed that I had a clogged
right artery. After one angioplasty attempt that didn’t work, I found Dr. Strauss,” says
Louis Waldman. “My discomfort went away almost immediately after the successful
angioplasty. I could breathe and had no chest pains. It’s a vast improvement, I’m pretty
much back to normal.”
-30-
Media contact:
Marie Sanderson
416.480.4040
marie.sanderson@sunnybrook.ca
