Health Canada Okays HeartWare Ventricular Assist System

(RTTNews) - HeartWare International, Inc. (HTWR), an innovator of less invasive, miniaturized circulatory support technologies, said it has received approval from Health Canada, the country's federal department responsible for helping Canadians maintain their health, to market the HeartWare Ventricular Assist System as a bridge to heart transplantation in patients with end-stage heart failure.

The HeartWare Ventricular Assist System features the HVAD Pump, a small full-support circulatory assist device designed to be implanted next to the heart, avoiding the abdominal surgery generally required to implant competing devices.

It received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2012 as a bridge to heart transplantation in patients with end-stage heart failure.