Thank you! A message from our GM, Kristen Knox

Dear Partners,

Over the past months, I have been so grateful for the incredible work the ACIST team has done, especially in light of such unusual 16 months.

COVID-19 caused disruption in our lives, but it also marks a time of adapting and pushing through many obstacles. We have learned a great deal from this experience: how to work remotely, the importance of communicating often -openly and compassionately- and most of all, what our dedicated, innovative and talented team can achieve even during several lockdowns and disruptions. We got everyone up and running on new remote tools, rolled out a full new training program, met major product program milestones in every modality, and we launched new technologies with Navvus II, dPR and AT X65.

Physiology: Navvus II and dPR

With the launch of Navvus II and dPR last year, customers benefit from the advantages of the microcatheter technology in combination with a non-hyperemic index for coronary physiology, along with the benefits to perform FFR, Pd/Pa and dPR calculations. Feedback from our customers has been incredibly positive and they have expressed how they can feel the difference when using Navvus II.

Angiography: AT X65

The launch of AT X65 earlier this year signaled the first new technology launch for CVi in the last 10+ years. For years, one of our top customer objections has been the lack of confidence in the hemodynamic signal. We now have an answer to that with AT X65 as it can provide a more defined hemodynamic signal with a visible dicrotic notch.  Additionally, we have placed two rotating luers at either end of the tubing to minimize torque and enhance control of the catheter for an easier workflow. And, shelf life has been doubled to two years which we know is a huge help for our distributor partners. As we look forward, AT X65 provides a starting point for our strategic goal of expanding into other cardiac procedures.  Hemodynamic signals and pressure readings are vital for TAVR and other structural heart procedures, so AT X65 will be key in opening the door for these important conversations with customers.  Conversions to ATX 65 are on the rise with new customers across the globe coming on board every day.

It is not just the ACIST team that inspires me, it’s also our distributors who have persevered. We know it was not an easy year, but we saw you engaging with us and our customers in so many ways. I would like to sincerely thank all of you for your efforts in the past year and your continued commitment to our customers and our patients. We are well on our way to impacting 3.5 million lives this year!

As vaccination rates grow across the world, and we are gaining more consistent access to the cath lab, the ACIST team are more out in the field again. We have also seen the return of live conferences and it won’t be long before we start preparations for our 2022 Distributor Meeting, a live edition if all goes well, and we will be excited to share more about that after summer.

I hope you, your family and all of your loved ones continue to stay safe.

My best,

Kristen Knox

SVP & General Manager

 

Visit to Ewopharma in Bulgaria

On June 26-27 2021, we were happy to partner with our distributor Ewopharma to support the “IX Bulgarian Course for Coronary physiology and physiology of non-coronary vessels” with live cases from Tokuda Hospital Sofia. Ewopharma were a gold sponsor of the course and were strongly engaged in promoting all ACIST technologies with focus on dPR & NAVVUS II.

The live cases at the meeting were performed by Prof. Gelev from Tokuda Hospital in Sofia, who is a strong advocate for dPR, which we have only just launched in Bulgaria. Prof. Gelev used dPR to guide his PCI strategy in a difficult LAD and diagonal bifurcation lesion. He also used AT X65 for the first time during the live case, on which his feedback was positive. During the live case, it was great to witness a discussion by the panel about the excellent crossability of Navvus II. Later in the program, he also mentioned dPR several times as part of another unsponsored presentation, which shows that it really is fast becoming standard practice for a growing number of key centers in Bulgaria.

In the week prior to the event we were able to visit and attend cases in several key centers including City Clinic Sofia with Prof. Ivo Petrov,  Alexandrovska Hospital, the National Heart Hospital and Tokuda Hospital. We performed multiple dPR upgrades for which feedback was positive, especially about the speed and the ease of the procedure. In most cases they validated the dPR result with FFR, and in every case the dPR and FFR values agreed.  In one case the dPR measurement satisfied the need for information and eliminated the need for performing FFR with adenosine, which saved time and cost for the hospital.

We also supported five initial AT X65 cases. The feedback was positive, mainly because the additional length was welcomed. We spent some time explaining the trade-off between improved hemodynamic signal and difference in handling of the line.

There is a lot of interest in HDi in Bulgaria, and we are looking to have several installations this year. We are confident that the excellent Ewopharma team is going to grow the success of CVi, RXi and HDi in Bulgaria.

Frits Kramer & Mark Green,

EMEA Distributor Managers

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