Aptus Heli-FX EndoAnchor System to Be Distributed by Maquet in United Kingdom

November 18, 2014—Aptus Endosystems, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Maquet Getinge Group for distribution of its products in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Maquet’s vascular systems and cardiac surgery group will market and sell the Aptus Heli-FX EndoAnchor system and the Heli-FX thoracic EndoAnchor system for endovascular aneurysm repair and thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair, respectively. The two companies are discussing additional geographies for expansion of this relationship, noted the announcement.

According to the company, the Heli-FX EndoAnchor system, developed and manufactured by Aptus, consists of a catheter-based delivery system and implantable helical screws (EndoAnchors) that lock the endograft to the aortic vessel. The EndoAnchor is designed to provide enhanced seal and fixation, similar to the stability achieved by hand suturing during open surgical repair of an aneurysm. The Heli-FX system can be used upon implantation of the endograft to enhance its inherent fixation and sealing mechanisms. The system can also be used to repair endovascular grafts that have developed endoleaks, migrated away from the implant site, or are at risk of developing these complications.

Arindam Chaudhuri, MD, performed the first case under the new distribution agreement at the Bedford Hospital NHS Trust in Bedford, England, where Dr. Chaudhuri is a consultant vascular surgeon. The recent case performed by Dr. Chaudhuri involved treating a patient with a highly angulated proximal neck. Nine EndoAnchors were implanted prophylactically to augment seal and fixation.

“The Heli-FX EndoAnchor system is a valuable addition in treating patients with aneurysmal disease. Patients with complex anatomy, particularly hostile necks/landing zones, who have a more difficult time achieving a durable, long-lasting repair, now have a technology that can potentially improve their long-term outcomes,” Dr. Chaudhuri commented in the press release.