About SynCardia
SynCardia Systems, Inc. is a private company formed in 2001 to commercialize the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart.
Today, with more than 950 implants, the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart is the only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart in the world. Originally used as a permanent replacement heart, the Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to human heart transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular failure.
Similar to a heart transplant, the Total Artificial Heart eliminates the symptoms and source of biventricular failure by replacing both failing heart ventricles. Unlike a donor heart, the Total Artificial Heart is instantly available at SynCardia Certified Centers. During the 10-year pivotal clinical study, 79% of patients receiving the Total Artificial Heart survived to transplant. This is the highest bridge-to-transplant rate of any approved device in the world*.
Freedom® Driver System
Currently, the only FDA-approved driver for powering the Total Artificial Heart in the U.S. is the 418-lb hospital driver nicknamed "Big Blue". Stable Total Artificial Heart patients in the U.S. supported by this driver are confined to the hospital while they wait for a matching donor heart. Without discharge, U.S. hospitals are only reimbursed for one procedure, the subsequent heart transplant.
SynCardia is conducting an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study of the new, lightweight Freedom® driver system^. The IDE clinical study is designed to demonstrate that the Freedom driver is a suitable pneumatic driver for stable Total Artificial Heart patients and can be used safely at home.
Through the IDE clinical study, SynCardia anticipates that discharging stable patients with the Freedom driver may eliminate in-hospital costs for this portion of their care and allow U.S. hospitals to be reimbursed for both the Total Artificial Heart implant and the subsequent heart transplant.
*The pivotal clinical study of the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart used two endpoints: bridged-to-transplant and death. Recent pivotal clinical studies of approved ventricular assist devices state a success rate that includes: patients alive and transplant-eligible at 6 months, patients who recovered and patients who were bridged-to-transplant.
Sources:
SynCardia Total Artificial Heart FDA Summary of Safety and Effectiveness, pages 8 & 9 http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf3/P030011b.pdf ›› download
HeartMate II FDA Summary of Safety and Effectiveness, page 12 http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf6/P060040b.pdf ›› download
^CAUTION – The Freedom driver system is an investigational device, limited by United States law to investigational use.
The Total Artificial Heart fulfills a role that no other mechanical circulatory support device can for patients in irreversible biventricular failure.”
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS)
– July 31, 2008
NEXT ›› Our Mission
SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart.
