while decreasing related health care costs.

Around 16 million people worldwide have a heart attack every year, caused by narrowing or blockage of their coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle. Approximately 6 million of these patients will have an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), requiring immediate revascularization of the clogged artery, which is performed by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Even after a successful revascularization of the patient’s coronary arteries, in up to 30% of patients, the ischemic area around the infarcted heart muscle may still grow and convert into scar tissue. This will result in higher rate of heart failure and higher mortality. Heart failure has a huge impact on overall health, limiting daily activities and resulting in a lifelong reliance on health care resources.

The Booster spiral balloon catheter is a proprietary and patented device, designed to reduce infarct-size and improve clinical outcomes of patients with STEMI. Immediately following the revascularization of the clogged artery, the Booster balloon is placed in the coronary sinus (the main vein which drains the blood from the heart). Due to the unique spiral design of the Booster balloon, it increases the pressure in the heart venules and capillaries, without compromising the blood outflow (drainage). The elevated pressure improves oxygen delivery to the ischemic myocardium, reducing the infarct area and ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Unlike other technologies, there is no need for an expensive console to monitor the operation of the balloon, using standard catheterization laboratory equipment. The Booster balloon catheter is intuitive and simple to use, similar to any angioplasty balloon, with no need for dedicated personnel.

Intratech has exciting and promising pre-clinical results and is launching its First-In-Human clinical study in Q3 2021. The company has secured a major investment from a key strategic corporation in the interventional cardiology field and has a comprehensive patent family with patents granted in the US, Canada, Europe, China, and Japan.