Medium-vessel occlusion (MeVO) stroke treatments continue to be a much-debated topic in the neurovascular space—a fact that is reflected in NeuroNews’ most popular stories from August via late-breaking data from the USA and an in-depth interview with one of Europe’s foremost interventional neuroradiologists. Artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, pulsatile tinnitus and moyamoya disease are among the many other subjects that piqued our readers’ interest last month, while an exclusive interview with stroke thrombectomy pioneer Wim van Zwam (Maastricht, The Netherlands) also features.
1. Aspiration thrombectomy produces notably lower sICH and vasospasm rates versus stent retrievers in MeVO stroke
Analyses of a large US registry comparing first-line stroke thrombectomy approaches for MeVO stroke have shown that direct aspiration is associated with significantly lower rates of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) and vessel injury/vasospasm compared with stent retrievers.
2. More work needed in MeVOs—but cyclic aspiration could be thrombectomy’s next “holy grail”
Given the procedure’s long-proven effectiveness, present-day advances in stroke thrombectomy treatments tend to be relatively incremental. That said, Jan Gralla (Bern, Switzerland) recently sat down with NeuroNews to discuss the latest hot topics within interventional stroke care—including a handful of ongoing developments that he feels could yet move the needle in this space.
3. Multidisciplinary collaboration receives US$144,500 grant to develop tool for predicting brain aneurysm rupture risk
A “historic” global collaboration bringing together cutting-edge AI, neurotechnology and neuroscience has been awarded a US$144,500 grant to launch the “world’s first” multiomics research initiative attempting to help predict the risk and rupture potential of intracranial aneurysms.
4. Revalesio receives US FDA fast-track designation for RNS60 in acute ischaemic stroke treatment
Revalesio announced recently that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted a fast-track designation to RNS60—the company’s lead investigational therapy—for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke.
5. Chinese RCT demonstrates robotic system can reduce physician radiation exposure while maintaining procedural performance
Results from a prospective, multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the Panvis-A neurointerventional robotic system (Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Biomedical Robot [Abrobo])—led by researchers in China—have been published in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery (JNIS), demonstrating that the system is both safe and effective, and can cut primary operators’ radiation exposure by 96% while maintaining procedural performance.
6. Acandis gains regulatory approval to launch RESOLVE study evaluating Sirex stent in pulsatile tinnitus treatments
Acandis has announced that it has received approval from the French national competent authority for medicines and health products, Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), and the responsible ethics committee to initiate the RESOLVE clinical study.
7. PROFILE: Wim van Zwam
Following early-career flirtations with electrical engineering and then tropical medicine, Wim van Zwam eventually found his calling in interventional neuroradiology (INR) around the turn of the century. Many patients, physicians and researchers are likely very thankful that he did, owing to his significant contributions to the neurointerventional space over the past two decades—including as co-principal investigator (PI) of the MR CLEAN RCT, chair for the European Stroke Course in Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy (EXMINT), and a long-time advocate of improved global access to stroke treatments. Here, Van Zwam—an interventional radiologist and INR professor at Maastricht University Medical Center—sits down with NeuroNews to discuss his career to date, aspirations as local committee chair for next year’s European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC), unmet needs in the field of stroke care, and more.
8. Cerevasc announces 100th patient treated with eShunt system
Cerevasc has announced that the 100th patient has received treatment for communicating hydrocephalus with the company’s eShunt system. These 100 patients have been enrolled in pilot studies and in the STRIDE clinical trial—a head-to-head comparison of the eShunt system versus the standard-of-care ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt in patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH).
9. InspireMD announces US$58 million in combined financings and new addition to board of directors
InspireMD has announced that it has raised approximately US$58 million in combined gross proceeds through an equity private placement (PIPE) financing and the exercise of warrants that were triggered by the company’s recent premarket application approval (PMA) of the CGuard Prime carotid stent system by the US FDA.
10. Moyamoya disease: diagnostic gaps, treatment realities, and what patients are telling us
In a NeuroNews guest article, Avi Gajjar (Albany, USA) discusses the medical community’s understanding—or relative lack thereof—of moyamoya disease.
