Ra Medical Systems Reports Progress with Extending DABRA Catheter Shelf Life, Completes Quality Improvement Plan
Ra Medical Systems (NYSE American: RMED) announces advancements in its next generation DABRA catheter, aimed at treating vascular diseases. The company has completed a quality improvement plan and initial testing suggests a shelf life of six months or more. The issues impacting shelf life have been identified and mitigated through changes in materials and processes. Expected completion of further engineering work is by mid-2021, followed by an FDA submission. CEO Will McGuire expresses optimism about the progress and dedication to quality enhancements.
- Completion of a quality improvement plan enhancing operational procedures.
- Initial testing indicates a potential shelf life extension for the DABRA catheter.
- Previous shelf life limitations due to material and coating degradation.
Ra Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE American: RMED), a medical device company focusing on commercializing excimer laser systems to treat vascular and dermatological diseases, reports progress with extending the shelf life of its more robust, next generation DABRA catheter, featuring a braided overjacket to improve deliverability when navigating tortuous anatomy. The Company also announces completion of all 116 items identified in a quality improvement plan that stemmed from an internal audit in late 2019, with enhancements to standard operating procedures, preventive maintenance, equipment status, and calibrations and supplier quality.
Initial accelerated aging testing supports shelf life of six months or longer on the next generation DABRA catheter. This follows the Company’s previously disclosed identification of the two primary issues related to the catheter’s limited shelf life as being the introduction of unwanted elements into its core water and the degradation of its inner coating. The Company is currently implementing multiple remediations to address these issues, including changes in material, process, and sterilization. Ra Medical expects to complete the engineering work for this catheter, including expanded testing currently underway to further support the catheter’s longer shelf life, by approximately mid-2021 and subsequently submit to the FDA for clearance.
“While we continue to conduct additional real time and accelerated aging shelf life studies with the next generation catheter, we are thrilled with the results thus far, which we believe show we have identified and mitigated the principal causes of the previous shelf life limitations,” said Will McGuire, Ra Medical Systems CEO. “I am also pleased with the completion of the quality improvement plan, which required tremendous effort by my colleagues and reflects our dedication to ensuring we have a robust and effective quality system.”
About Ra Medical Systems
Ra Medical Systems commercializes excimer lasers and catheters for the treatment of vascular and dermatological diseases. In May 2017 the DABRA excimer laser system received FDA 510(k) clearance in the U.S. for crossing chronic total occlusions, or CTOs, in patients with symptomatic infrainguinal lower extremity vascular disease with an intended use for ablating a channel in occlusive peripheral vascular disease. The Pharos excimer laser system is FDA-cleared and is used as a tool in the treatment of psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis and leukoderma. DABRA and Pharos are both based on Ra Medical’s core excimer laser technology platform and deploy similar mechanisms of action. Ra Medical manufactures DABRA and Pharos excimer lasers and catheters in a 32,000-square-foot facility located in Carlsbad, Calif. The vertically integrated facility is ISO 13485 certified and is licensed by the State of California to manufacture sterile, single-use catheters in controlled environments.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or Ra Medical’s future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern Ra Medical’s future expectations, strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the timing and potential outcome of the DABRA atherectomy clinical study. Ra Medical’s expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize, and actual results in future periods are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties which contribute to the uncertain nature of these statements include, among others, challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing, launching, marketing, and selling new products; risks associated with acceptance of DABRA and Pharos and procedures performed using such devices by physicians, payors, and other third parties; development and acceptance of new products or product enhancements; clinical and statistical verification of the benefits achieved via the use of Ra Medical’s products; the results from our clinical trials, which may not support intended indications or may require Ra Medical to conduct additional clinical trials or modify ongoing clinical trials; challenges related to commencement, patient enrollment, completion, an analysis of clinical trials; Ra Medical’s ability to manage operating expenses; Ra Medical’s ability to effectively manage inventory; Ra Medical’s ability to recruit and retain management and key personnel; Ra Medical’s need to comply with complex and evolving laws and regulations; intense and increasing competition and consolidation in Ra Medical’s industry; the impact of rapid technological change; costs and adverse results in any ongoing or future legal proceedings; adverse outcome of regulatory inspections; and the other risks and uncertainties described in Ra Medical’s news releases and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Information on these and additional risks, uncertainties, and other information affecting Ra Medical’s business and operating results is contained in Ra Medical’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Ra Medical as of the date hereof, and Ra Medical disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Ra Medical investors and others should note that we announce material information to the public about the company through a variety of means, including our website (www.ramed.com), our investor relations website (https://ir.ramed.com/), press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls in order to achieve broad, non-exclusionary distribution of information to the public and to comply with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. We encourage our investors and others to monitor and review the information we make public in these locations as such information could be deemed to be material information. Please note that this list may be updated from time to time.
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