“I see a future where this technology may be used to treat people early and avoid the devastating long term consequences of venous insufficiency” Ramon Varcoe (Sydney, Australia) opined in a CX Vascular Live discussion with Erin Murphy (Charlotte, USA) and Marc Glickman (Irvine, USA) on developments in the realm of deep venous valves.
Conversing at the 2023 Charing Cross (CX) International Symposium (25–27 April, London, UK), the group first outlined the scale of the problem. Glickman described deep venous insufficiency as a “large unmet need worldwide,” with Varcoe adding that surgery in these patients is “next to impossible” due to challenging anatomical conditions. Glickman also noted another challenge in the fact that vascular surgery training tends to focus on arterial disease and less on the venous world, resulting in only “very minor” innovation in the latter.
Despite this, Glickman expressed his belief that the potential for growth in the deep venous valve market is “enormous”, moving the focus of the conversation towards two new technologies that could improve patient outcomes in this challenging space—VenoValve (Envveno Medical) and BlueLeaf (InterVene).
Glickman, who is the senior vice president at Envveno Medical, highlighted that the company is now working on a transcatheter version of their VenoValve device, with the plan being to commence a first-in-human study in Columbia in the coming weeks. Varcoe, who has been involved in clinical studies on the BlueLeaf, informed CX Vascular Live viewers that this percutaneous device is currently being assessed in a global clinical trial.
Considering what is next for the technology, Glickman acknowledged that paradigm shifts in medicine “take time”, emphasising the complexity of the regulatory landscape. He also pointed out the importance of continued education in this space to address a lack of understanding of deep venous insufficiency within the medical and vascular surgical community.
“I have just really enjoyed seeing the focus be put back on venous disease,” Varcoe said in closing. “I am seeing huge interest in venous disease now and it is a really great time to be involved in the field.”
In addition to the VenoValve and the BlueLeaf, Cook Medical announced in the week following CX 2023 that the first patient has been treated in a clinical study to evaluate a new venous valve designed for treating chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).
