Medical device company, St. Jude Medical Inc. (STJ), recently enrolled the first patient in the STAR-VT (Substrate Targeted Ablation using the FlexAbility Ablation Catheter System for the Reduction of Ventricular Tachycardia) clinical trial.
The STAR-VT trial is aimed at evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the company’s FlexAbility ablation catheter when used in ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation procedures.
The trial seeks to assess whether combined targeted ablation with either an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) can decrease the probability of recurring ventricular arrhythmias.
Patients suffering from an abnormal rapid heart rhythm disorder called ventricular tachycardia (VT) require an implantable ICD or CRT-D, which help detect abnormal heart rhythm in a person and provides a small shock to the heart to ultimately restore the normal rhythm.
However, patients with recurring symptoms require an additional treatment option such as catheter ablation or medication, to prevent the heart from slipping into the VT condition. The trial intends to measure the efficiency of the additional treatment option in high risk patients, using the FlexAbility ablation catheter.
The clinical study will enroll an estimated 1,450 patients, at approximately 50 centers across the U.S. The trial is also expected to include international centers. The patients, will initially be treated with an ICD or a CRT-D. They will then be divided into two groups, either of which will be subjected to ablation therapy or routine drug therapy.
The FlexAbility ablation catheter will be used for ablation in the trial. Likewise, The EnSite Velocity Cardiac Mapping System will be used to create the heart geometry and provide information that will help detect abnormal heart rhythms.
We currently await the completion of the trial by St. Jude and the results thereafter, which if successful, will hold interesting prospects for the treatment of VT in the near future.
Zacks Rank
St. Jude Medical carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better ranked stocks in the Medical Products industry that warrant a look are ICU Medical (ICUI), INSYS Therapeutics (INSY), and Conatus Pharmaceuticals (CNAT). While both ICU Medical and INSYS Therapeutics sports a Zacks Rank 31 (Strong Buy), Conatus Pharmaceuticals has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
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