Abbott, a global health care company, recently launched the world's first drug eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS), a first-of-its-kind device for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) in India. Abbott's BVS is made of polylactide, a naturally dissolvable material  that is commonly used in medical implants such as dissolving sutures.

Dr Ashok Seth, chairman, Cardiac Sciences, Fortis Healthcare, said, “With the launch of BVS, we can offer our patients a significant advancement in the treatment of coronary artery disease. The structure starts to resorb within one year, allowing the vessel the potential to flex, pulsate and dilate in response to normal activities such as exercise.” Dr Seth further added, "This revolutionary technology may allow blood vessels to return to a more natural state and expand long-term diagnostic and treatment options."

The launch of Abbott's BVS is supported by a clinical trial programme that encompasses five studies in more than 20 countries around the world, including India.

BVS has been studied in Indian population which showed robust clinical results. Study data indicates that Abbott’s BVS perform similar to a best-in- class drug eluting stent across traditional measures such as major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and target lesion revascularization (TLR), while providing patients with the added benefits associated with a device that dissolves over time. As the scaffold dissolves, vascular function is potentially restored to the blood vessel, allowing more blood to flow through the vessel as the body requires. BVS has been implanted in more than 3,000 patients in over 30 countries worldwide in clinical trials and commercial settings.

Amit Kumar, regional director and general manager, South Asia and Southeast Asia said, “BVS is a leading example of Abbott's commitment to innovation – from the initial device developed nearly 10 years ago to the expansion of our manufacturing capabilities to support this launch.”

BVS is similar to a small mesh tube which is designed to open a blocked heart vessel and restore blood flow to the heart. It is referred to as a scaffold to indicate that it is a temporary structure, unlike a stent, which is a permanent implant. The scaffold provides support to the vessel until the artery can stay open on its own, and then dissolves naturally. Abbott's BVS leaves patients with a vessel free of a permanent metallic stent and may allow the vessel to resume more natural function and movement, potentially providing long-term benefits.

Abbott's BVS delivers everolimus, an anti-proliferative drug used in Abbott's XIENCE coronary stent systems. Everolimus was developed by Novartis Pharma AG and is licensed to Abbott by Novartis for use on its drug eluting vascular devices. Everolimus has been shown to inhibit in-stent neointimal growth in the coronary vessels following stent or scaffold implantation.

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