Medtronic launches Fortrex PTA balloon catheter in US

Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said yesterday that it launched its Fortrex percutaneous transluminal angioplasty balloon catheter in the U.S.

The Fortrex is designed to treat peripheral artery disease and maintain arteriovenous access for hemodialysis, the Fridley, Minn.-based company said. The catheter uses a balloon to break up plaque blockages in the peripheral vascular system, or blockages in hemodialysis patients at the dialysis sites, the company added.

“Being able to maintain AV access for patients receiving hemodialysis for renal disease and kidney failure is critical as it is a patient’s lifeline. In the past, other high pressure balloons could lose their shape, making it challenging to focus the pressure on the lesion that was blocking the AV access. The Fortrex PTA balloon’s rated burst pressure provides me with a predictable and efficient solution to crack the short, fibrous lesions to restore AV access,” Dr. Brian Dunfee of Melbourne, Fla.’s Holmes Regional Medical Center said in a press release.

“Medtronic’s growing PTA portfolio includes trusted, lesion specific solutions for peripheral vascular disease. We are excited to bring to market the Fortrex PTA balloon, which enhances our portfolio to provide clinicians with an innovative solution to improve AV access,” veep of Medtronic’s peripheral vascular business Brian Verrier said in a prepared statement.

Covidien, now part of Medtronic in a $50 billion merger that closed in January, won FDA 510(k) clearance in November last year for the Fortex.

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