Huihe Healthcare Completes First K-Clip Treatment in Hong Kong
HONG KONG,Dec. 21,2021 --The first successful Transcatheter Tricuspid Annulus repair using a K-Clip has taken place outside of China. The treatment took place on December 19th 2021 at Hong Kong's HK Asia Heart Centre. The treatment is a minimally invasive treatment of mitral and tricuspid valves designed to alleviate symptoms in elderly patients.
The patient is an 84-year-old female who had numerous procedures including left atrial appendage closure,atrial septal closure,mitral valve leaflet clamping,and tricuspid valve leaflet clamping but still had serious tricuspid regurgitation problems. The procedure was successfully completed under the guidance and support of Dr Yat-Yin Lam,Director of Hong Kong Asia Heart Centre,and his team. The patient is currently in a stable condition and is recovering well; the team expect that she will shortly be discharged,following the postoperative review.
Tricuspid regurgitation is closely related to aging,and it is estimated that there were 213 million heart valve patients worldwide in 2019,resulting in 2.6 million deaths. Around 17% (36.3 million) of patients with valvular heart disease live in China,of which mitral valve regurgitation accounts for 29.2% and tricuspid regurgitation accounts for 25.1%. However,treatment can be expensive and that led Huihe Healthcare to develop its innovative K-Clip transcatheter tricuspid annulus repair treatment. This does not require surgery,takes less than an hour to enter the heart from the blood stream,is less painful than existing treatments,avoids thoracotomy,is faster,and is more conducive to the recovery of the elderly.
The market opportunity for this treatment is significant. According to patient data from Frost & Sullivan,the number of patients suffering from tricuspid regurgitation (TR) worldwide increased from 44.7 million in 2014 to 48.6 million in 2018,and is expected to increase further to 55.9 million by 2025. Despite high mortality rates,there is currently no widely applicable minimally invasive procedure.
This has created a significant market opportunity,despite the fact that tricuspid valve interventional therapy is still in its early stages. Estimates are that it could be worth US$17.4 billion,and could eventually increase three or four times that of the aortic transcatheter interventional therapy market.
Dr Yat-Yin Lam,Director of Hong Kong Asia Heart Centre said,"K-Clip is quite easy to use with its safety proved during the first case in Hong Kong. The patient recovered well,and I am so happy to see this innovative product is able to help the patient."
The successful completion of the operation in Hong Kong not only demonstrates its safety and efficacy,it also marks Huihe Healthcare's first steps into the global market.
About Huihe Healthcare
Huihe Healthcare is a high-tech enterprise with independent innovation capabilities,focusing on the development and production of cardiovascular related products. It has more than 130 R&D personnel,more than 150 Chinese patents,including nearly 100 invention patents,and 3 PCT and overseas patents. The K-Clip™ tricuspid valve ring repair system has undergone registered clinical trials; M-Touch™ mitral valve leaflet repair system and M-Lock™ mitral valve ring repair system will both be entering into clinical trial in the near future.
Data Sources:
1. Frost & Sullivan Report https://www.frost.com
2. Industry Overview of Hong Kong Stock Exchange - Heart Valve Diseases and Treatment
https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2019/1210/9094221/sehk19112501112_c.pdf
3. "China Cardiovascular Report 2019". http://www.fuwai.com
4. Braz J Cardiovasc Surg. 2020 Oct 1;35(5):644-653. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33118728/
5. Nath J,Foster E,Heidenreich PA. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004 Feb 4;43(3):405-9.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15013122/
