Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), which afflicts more than 200 million people worldwide.
Atherosclerosis, a condition characterized by narrowing of the arteries, is a systemic disease that can cause various symptoms due to decreased blood flow throughout the body.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a term used to describe diseases that occur in the peripheral blood vessels, away from the heart. Among these, lower limb occlusive arterial disease refers to a condition where arteries in the legs become clogged due to atherosclerosis, resulting in reduced blood flow.
If left untreated, atherosclerosis in the lower limbs can lead to tissue necrosis and, in the worst case scenario, increase the risk of lower limb amputation. Lower limb amputation not only significantly decreases a patient's quality of life, but also has a 5-year survival rate (less than 50%) that is known to be lower than certain types of cancer [*1]. Early intervention and treatment for lower limb occlusive arterial disease is therefore highly recommended.
Atherosclerotic blood vessel
Normal Vessel
The estimated number of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) worldwide was reported approximately 200 million in 2010, and the prevalence increased by 23.5% over a decade from 2000, according to a report [*2]. In Japan, the prevalence is estimated to be about 1-3% [*3], but compared to heart disease, PAD is still relatively unknown, and prevention and early detection of the disease are delayed.
*1 Mustapha JA, Katzen BT, Neville RF, et al., Critical Limb Ischemia: A Threat to Life and Limb, Endovascular Today. 2019; 18(5): 80-82.
*2 Fowkes FGR, Rudan D, Rudan I, et al., Comparison of global estimates of prevalence and risk factors for peripheral artery disease in 2000 and 2010: a systematic review and analysis. The Lancet. 2013; 382(9901): 1329-1340.
*3 Tetsuro Miyata et al., JCS/JSVS 2022 Guideline on the Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease
Open surgery to minimally invasive treatment via Interventional Radiology
In the past, surgical bypass was the main treatment for atherosclerosis, but in recent years, interventional radiology (IR) with less physical burden and requiring no major incisions has become popular, with "stent placement" being the most common treatment. Stents, medical devices used to expand narrowed arteries and restore blood flow, were first developed in the 1980s for coronary artery disease and the first-generation drug-eluting stents were introduced in the US in 1990. Since then, second- and third-generation drug-eluting stents with even more patient-friendly features have been launched by global medical device manufacturers in Europe and North America in the 2000s and 2010s.
We are developing a stent delivery system for PAD.
HISTORY
We are a medical-engineering technology startup company founded to bring Hasebe Research Group's engineering technology to the world.
December 2022
Established Global Vascular Co., Ltd.
The design and development business related to this project was incorporated.
September 2022 - present
Selected for the the Translational Research Program, Seeds F
Funding Agency: Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
April 2019
Hasebe Research Group and BIOZONE MEDICAL Co., Ltd. have started a joint research project.
October 2018 - March 2022
Selected for the the Development of Advanced Measurement and Analysis Technology and Equipment Program
Funding Agency: Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
2005 - 2022
Establishment of the fundamental technology of coating and its improvement.