VBS Interventional has recognized this unmet need and created the world’s first endoarterial biopsy catheter, a medical device designed to obtain biopsy specimens from the inner layers of an artery via a minimally invasive technique. The endoarterial biopsy catheter obtains arterial biopsy samples from diseased tissue that can be analyzed using histopathological, genomic and proteomic methods in order to describe current vascular disease status and provide important information about eventual disease progression. This will provide physicians with vital information about each patient’s disease characteristics.

The catheter will provide a means for monitoring therapeutic interventions, optimizing medical management, customizing diagnosis and therapy, and anticipating future adverse events through the early identification of disease markers in arterial biopsies from patients. Information contained in arterial biopsies identifies proteins and receptors involved in vascular-based diseases, which can be used in pharmaceutical drug discovery and development.

The arterial biopsy catheter has successfully and safely obtained endoarterial biopsy samples over 800 times without invasive surgery. Biopsy specimens have been made into histological preparations and examined under a microscope and have also been used as parent tissue for cell cultures. The mRNA levels of biopsy specimens have been quantitated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Single endoarterial biopsy samples have provided sufficient tissue for whole genome microarray analysis.