Abiomed, Inc. (Nasdaq:ABMD), a leading provider of breakthrough heart support technologies, today reported its donation of an unrestricted grant in the amount of $375,000 to Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center, a newly dedicated cardiovascular care center founded within Boston Children's Hospital.
The Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center integrates all pediatric specialists related to a patient's care in order to treat both the heart and the whole child. This organizational structure allows for a more focused clinical approach and a fully aligned research effort so that new therapies have the best chance of treating today's patients. Abiomed's funding will help support research and education initiatives of the Heart Center's Advanced Cardiac Therapies (ACT) Program. Among the uses of these funds, the following scientific and clinical goals will be pursued:
-- Advance the understanding of basic pathophysiology and symptom correlation in pediatric acute decompensated heart failure patients.
-- Engage key opinion leaders to assess the potential for multi-center registries and improved methodologies for monitoring neurologic function and quality of life for pediatric patients who receive mechanical circulatory support.
-- Investigate new cellular and genomic cardiac regeneration therapies that will stimulate myocardial recovery.
"We are very thankful for Abiomed's generosity in providing this gift to Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center," said Sandra Fenwick, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Children's Hospital. "Boston Children's is a leader and innovator in pediatric cardiology and heart surgery. This grant from Abiomed, supporting our scientific and clinical goals, will help us advance the care of children with advanced heart failure.
Boston Children's Hospital Heart Center is one of the nation's most active pediatric heart failure and transplant centers, managing some of the most complex pediatric and adult congenital heart failure cases in the world and is consistently ranked number one in Pediatric Cardiology and Heart Surgery by US News & World Report.
"We are very excited about this area of research for pediatric heart failure patients. Abiomed is pleased to support Boston Children's research and advancements for new, cutting edge technologies in the field of pediatric cardiac care," said Michael R. Minogue, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Abiomed.
* The Impella pediatric device is not approved by the FDA.