CardiAQ Valve Technologies (CVT) Elects Michael Mack, MD, to its Scientific Advisory Board.

CVT's percutaneous mitral valve replacement (PMVR) platform might be the 'next big thing' in the cardiac cath lab

"The addition of Dr. Michael Mack solidifies CVT's Scientific Advisory Board as an 'all-star' team." J. Brent Ratz, President and CEO, CVT 

WINCHESTER, Mass. -- CardiAQ Valve Technologies (CVT), which is developing a proprietary system for percutaneous mitral valve replacement (PMVR), today announced that it has appointed preeminent cardiac surgeon Dr. Michael Mack to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), effective immediately. Dr. Mack is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, General Surgery, and Thoracic Surgery. He began practice in cardiothoracic surgery in 1982 in Dallas, Texas, being a founding member of Cardiothoracic Surgery Associates of North Texas (CSANT). The practice currently has 60 physicians in the fields of cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, cardiology, and vascular surgery. He also co-founded the Cardiopulmonary Research Science and Technology Institute (CRSTI), a not-for-profit research organization, in 1996. He currently holds the position of Director of Cardiovascular Research and Cardiovascular Medicine at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano.

Dr. Mack joins CVT's distinguished cross-specialty Scientific Advisory Board that already includes: Joseph Bavaria, M.D., Chairman; Martin B. Leon, M.D.; Paul Tierstein, M.D.; Todd M. Grehl, M.D.; and Alex Zapolanski, M.D.

"Michael Mack is one of the most respected cardiac surgeons in the world and one of the pioneers for transcatheter and minimally invasive heart valve technologies," said Brent Ratz, CVT's President and CEO. "His participation solidifies our Scientific Advisory Board as a veritable 'all-star' team of surgeons and clinicians specializing in cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology."

"Of the myriad devices under development for the percutaneous treatment of mitral valve insufficiency, the CardiAQ device is one of the most intriguing, with unique aspects that could make it successful," said Dr. Mack. "There is a definite clinical need for high-risk patients suffering from Mitral Regurgitation and I am pleased to be involved with a technology that has the potential to help address it," added Dr. Mack, who also is a member of the Executive Committee for the PARTNER clinical trial, which is evaluating the Edwards Lifesciences' SAPIENS transcatheter aortic heart valve.

Dr. Mack has over 250 peer-reviewed medical publications. In addition, he is a member of the Editorial Board of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery and is a reviewer for numerous prestigious medical journals, including New England Journal of Medicine and Circulation. Dr. Mack also holds a number of positions in national organizations, included but not limited to: President, Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education (TSFRE); Second Vice President (President-elect 2011), Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS); Secretary, Board of Directors, Joint Committee for Thoracic Surgical Education (JCTSE). In addition, Dr. Mack is President of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and Co-Chairman of the Industry Alliance Committee of the STS/AATS.

CVT is developing innovative approaches to heart valve replacement and is initially focused on percutaneous mitral valve replacement (PMVR). Well over two million people in the U.S. suffer from Mitral Regurgitation (MR), yet only about 80,000 repair or replacement procedures take place each year. The significant treatment gap is largely due to the risks associated with currently available mitral valve surgical procedures. While several companies are attempting to develop percutaneous approaches to repair the mitral valve, these technologies will have limited applicability due to the heterogeneous nature of the disease and, so far, have had difficulty demonstrating efficacy equivalent to surgical approaches. CVT believes that its PMVR system is less likely to be impacted by variations in disease morphology and patient anatomy, while offering the potential for more effective treatment of MR.

About CardiAQ Valve Technologies

Privately held CVT, headquartered in Winchester, Mass., has developed a proprietary system for percutaneous mitral valve replacement (PMVR). Through the combination of a unique fixation mechanism and a novel delivery catheter, physicians will be able to accurately and securely implant a new mitral valve within a beating heart, thus avoiding open-heart surgery. The CVT technology represents a platform that can be adapted to treat any valve within the heart. Ultimately, the CVT procedure could be performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory similar to angioplasty or stenting, resulting in less trauma to the patient and substantial cost-savings to the healthcare system.