Penumbra’s Lightning Flash CAVT Technology Evaluated in Multiple Studies

April 2, 2025—Penumbra, Inc. announced data from studies of the company’s Lightning Flash computer-assisted vacuum thrombectomy (CAVT) technology as a frontline therapy for blood clots. The company stated that the findings showed that CAVT improved clinical and functional outcomes and helped reduce overall health care costs.

The CAVT device was evaluated in seven presentations: four of interim results from the STRIKE-PE study; a subset analysis of the STRIDE study; the THRIVE study; and a retrospective analysis comparing the use of CAVT to anticoagulation alone for the management of lower-extremity venous thrombus.

The presentations were delivered at SIR 2025, the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 50th annual scientific meeting held March 29 to April 2 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Penumbra stated that STRIKE-PE enrolled up to 1,500 patients and demonstrated that CAVT is a safe, fast, and effective procedure for treating pulmonary embolism. A subgroup analysis of Lightning Flash-only treatment for PE showed a significant reduction of right ventricle/left ventricle ratio (27.8%) and a decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressures (24.5%) as well as a low overall major adverse event rate (< 1%) and a fast device time (median, 25.5 minutes).

Next, the subset analysis of the STRIDE study demonstrated that when CAVT was used to address lower-extremity acute limb ischemia (LE-ALI) in both in-stent thrombosis and native-vessel thrombosis patients, the procedure was safe and effective with high target limb salvage rates at 30 days, stated the company.

The THRIVE study was a retrospective analysis of resource use and clinical outcomes in treating LE-ALI patients (identified by the Vizient Clinical Data Base). It compared CAVT use versus embolectomy alone and versus embolectomy with bypass. The analysis showed that CAVT was associated with a limb-salvage rate of 99.1%; a 26% to 46% shorter total hospital length of stay; and a 46% to 75% higher rate of patients discharged home.

In the other retrospective analysis, which compared CAVT use to anticoagulation alone to manage lower-extremity venous thrombus patients (identified by the Vizient Clinical Data Base), CAVT was associated with a 17% shorter total hospital length of stay and a 40% higher rate of patients discharged home.

Finally, the company advised that the health economic data showing the positive economic benefits to the health care system of using CAVT in arterial and venous cases will be presented at upcoming conferences. The company’s complete lineup of presentations at SIR 2025 was announced on March 17 and is available online here.