Swedish Company Launches PAO Study In U.S.

Initiating its first human research effort in the United States, EKOS Corp. has launched a study at the University of Rochester Medical Center to evaluate the company's active drug delivery technology in the treatment of newly-formed blockages in leg arteries. This condition is known medically as acute peripheral arterial occlusion (PAO).

The Phase I investigational study, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will assess EKOS' proprietary system for simultaneously administering ultrasound and a clot-dissolving drug directly into the area of the blockage. Preclinical research has indicated that this approach may result in more rapid and more complete clot dissolution compared with the use of the drug alone, due primarily to the ability of ultrasound energy to help move drugs into hard-to-reach areas of the clot.

"The treatment options for acute peripheral arterial occlusions remain suboptimal, leaving us with the need for better and more efficient methods to clear out blocked vessels," said Dr. Roy Greenberg, a vascular surgeon at the University of Rochester and the study's lead investigator. "The preclinical data with the EKOS system indicate that this approach may help to improve both the speed and completeness of clot dissolution. If these findings hold up in humans, it could create an exciting new therapeutic alternative for this hard-to-treat condition."

For more information, contact Susan Scher, Scher Communications Consultants, 415-546-6700.