BG Medicine, Boston Sci partner to evaluate galectin-3 assay
BG Medicine and Boston Scientific have entered into a research agreement to evaluate the use of galectin-3 as a screening tool for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and will use data from the MADIT-CRT trial for their assessment.
The FDA approved Waltham, Mass.-based BG Medicine’s galectin-3 assay, which can help identify chronic heart failure patients who would benefit most from CRT, back in November. Increased galectin-3 levels have been linked to heart failure.
"Guidelines for CRT candidate selection are based on measures of current cardiac status, not on the basis of anticipated disease course," noted Pieter Muntendam, MD, president and CEO of BG Medicine. "Elevated galectin-3 is associated with poor outcomes, and this collaboration aims to investigate the role galectin-3 can play in identifying those who stand to gain most by early use of CRTs."
The MADIT-CRT trial, published n the New England Journal of Medicine in October 2009, studied NYHA Class I and II patients and enrolled 1,800 patients to assess CRT-D.
The FDA approved Waltham, Mass.-based BG Medicine’s galectin-3 assay, which can help identify chronic heart failure patients who would benefit most from CRT, back in November. Increased galectin-3 levels have been linked to heart failure.
"Guidelines for CRT candidate selection are based on measures of current cardiac status, not on the basis of anticipated disease course," noted Pieter Muntendam, MD, president and CEO of BG Medicine. "Elevated galectin-3 is associated with poor outcomes, and this collaboration aims to investigate the role galectin-3 can play in identifying those who stand to gain most by early use of CRTs."
The MADIT-CRT trial, published n the New England Journal of Medicine in October 2009, studied NYHA Class I and II patients and enrolled 1,800 patients to assess CRT-D.