Abbott’s dissolving stent receives FDA approval for arteries below the knee

Abbott announced that the FDA has approved the Esprit BTK Everolimus Eluting Resorbable Scaffold System, for people with chronic limb-threatening ischemia below-the-knee – BTK -. The Esprit BTK System is designed to keep arteries open and deliver a drug to support vessel healing prior to completely dissolving. The standard of care has been balloon angioplasty. However, blockages treated only with balloon angioplasty have poor short- and long-term results, and in many instances the vessels become blocked again, requiring additional treatment. The Esprit BTK System helps heal the vessel and provides support for approximately three years until the vessel is strong enough to remain open on its own. More than 20 million people in the U.S. are living with PAD and only 10% of those people have been diagnosed. CLTI is a serious form of PAD that occurs when arteries become clogged with plaque, preventing blood flow and oxygen from reaching the lower leg and foot.