May 2024- Abbott announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Esprit™ BTK Everolimus Eluting Resorbable Scaffold System (Esprit BTK System), a breakthrough innovation for people with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) below-the-knee (BTK). The Esprit BTK System keeps arteries open, delivers Everolimus to support vessel healing, and then completely dissolves.

Until today, there were no stents or drug-coated balloons approved for use below the knee in the U.S. The standard of care has been balloon angioplasty, which relies on a small balloon delivered via a catheter to the blockage to compress it against the arterial wall, opening the vessel and restoring blood flow. However, blockages treated only with balloon angioplasty have poor short- and long-term results, and in many instances the vessels become blocked again, requiring additional treatment.

The Esprit BTK System, comprised of material akin to dissolving sutures, pioneers the first-of-its-kind dissolvable stent. During a catheter-based minimally invasive procedure, surgeons implant the device via a small incision in the leg. Once the blockage is open, the Esprit BTK scaffold helps heal the vessel and provides support for approximately three years until the vessel is strong enough to remain open on its own.

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“The FDA approval of Abbott’s Esprit BTK System marks a significant milestone in our fight against peripheral artery disease below the knee and should usher in a new era of improved outcomes for people worldwide,” said Sahil A. Parikh, M.D., Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and one of the principal investigators of the LIFE-BTK trial. “By introducing a treatment option that is superior to balloon angioplasty, Abbott is changing the landscape of CLTI therapy.”

“At Abbott, we’ve recognized the significant burden of disease and limited treatment options available for people living with the most severe form of PAD. That’s why we’re revolutionizing treatments with resorbable scaffold technology below the knee,” said Julie Tyler, senior vice president of Abbott’s vascular business. “Our resorbable program is focused on meeting unmet needs in the peripheral anatomy to help people live better and fuller lives.”