When Medtronic announced it was stopping the sale and distribution of its HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD) system on June 3, the FDA shared an advisory to help clinicians move forward.
One of the agency’s recommendations for treating new patients in need of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) was to consider an alternative solution—and Abbott’s HeartMate 3 LVAD was specifically mentioned by name.
In the wake of that recommendation, Abbott has announced that it is has the “capacity and supply to effectively support the growing demand” of such cardiac solutions. The company is also investing in additional training to help more physicians gain experience with the HeartMate LVAD.
“For years we have seen truly lifesaving results in patients treated with mechanical circulatory support devices,” Mike Pederson, senior vice president of Abbott's electrophysiology and heart failure business, said in a prepared statement. “Ensuring continued access to these devices is critical for patients. We are working to ensure that physicians have the support and training they need as they further adopt HeartMate 3 to improve outcomes for their advanced heart failure patients.”
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.