US doctors using Osprey's AVERT in PAD

Osprey Medical (ASX:OSP) has announced that US physicians have been using its AVERT medical device in procedures for peripheral artery disease (PAD).

AVERT is designed to reduce the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy from exposure of the kidneys to the toxic dyes used in X-ray imaging. It helps minimise the dye used in procedures.

Osprey has been commercialising the product for cardiac procedures, but US physicians have identified that AVERT has wider applications.

PAD is caused by the narrowing or blocking of vessels that carry blood to the legs, and can lead to severe pain and even limb amputation if left unchecked. Procedures to treat the condition typically involve opening the blocked arteries using balloon catheters and stents guided by X-ray imaging.

Since the initial launch of AVERT in Texas, Osprey said there has been significant AVERT usage in PAD procedures with good success. This has helped the company recognise that PAD procedures represent a potential new market for the system.

“Application of the AVERT system for PAD was led by physicians who are already using it for heart procedures and see its potential for use in a wider range of situations that involve the use of contrast dye,” Osprey CEO Mike McCormick commented.

In June, Osprey secured US FDA approval for a second-generation design of the AVERT system.

Osprey Medical (ASX:OSP) shares were trading 2% higher at $0.51 as of around 2 pm on Monday.