Paragonix Technologies, Inc. today announced that the first series of pediatric donor hearts preserved and transported using Paragonix SherpaPak Cardiac Transport System occurred at the University of Florida Health (UF Health) and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital (TN).
Starting in Q1 2019, Paragonix SherpaPak™ CTS has been shipped with heart connectors covering most aortic diameters, permitting the anchoring of variously sized hearts, including small pediatric hearts, to its proprietary suspension system for improved donor heart transport.
“Optimal preservation of donor hearts is crucial. We have used Paragonix SherpaPak™ CTS to ensure protection of donor hearts transplanted at our Center, where we have transplanted three patients after using this type of preservation during transport,” said cardiothoracic surgeon Mark Bleiweis, MD, the William G. Lassiter Jr. and Aneice R. Lassiter Professor and director of the UF Health Congenital Heart Center at UF Health, the University of Florida’s academic health center. “We have now adopted Paragonix SherpaPak Cardiac Transport System for routine preservation of pediatric donor hearts.”
“Our Center’s first clinical use of Paragonix SherpaPak™ CTS to protect donor hearts occurred in October 2019. The device has been easily implemented into our procurement and transplant process. By having access to data records that profile the entire preservation interval we are able to improve our quality management in transplantation,” said Dr. Umar Boston, MD, director of pediatric heart transplant and heart failure at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Paragonix SherpaPak™ CTS has been used by heart transplant centers in the United States and in Europe. The device is currently marketed in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Sweden and the Slovak Republic in Europe.
“This first clinical series of pediatric donor hearts is an important milestone in making Paragonix SherpaPak™ CTS accessible for all donor populations, increasing the market reach of this important transplant product,” said Bill Edelman, Chairman, and CEO of Paragonix Technologies. “We are thrilled with the clinical outcomes experienced by our customers following the use of Paragonix SherpaPak™ CTS.”