Tayside Flow receives funding for cardiovascular implants

Based in Dundee, Tayside Flow Technologies was formed in October 1998 by three vascular specialists as a spin-out from Tayside University Hospitals NHS trust. It was set up to develop and commercialise novel cardiovascular devices based on a new understanding of blood-flow dynamics called Spiral Laminar Flow (SLF).

By mimicking the physiological features of healthy veins and arteries into the design of grafts and stents, the spiral flow reduces turbulence and sheer-wall stresses in vessels, thus preventing a build-up of the deposits that would eventually lead to a blockage.

Tayside Flow Technologies has secured regulatory approval in Europe and the US for its first two products, the peripheral vascular graft (launched in 2008) and the arteriovenous graft (launched in June this year). To date, 29 distributors have been appointed, covering more than 20 countries worldwide.

Results of the company’s two-year first-in-man clinical study of the peripheral vascular graft implants were presented at the prestigious Veith Symposium in New York in November by vascular surgeon Prof Frank Vermassen of Ghent in Belgium.

The results revealed that after 24 months follow-up, of the 40 patients implanted, 81 per cent maintained primary patency in above-the-knee procedures and more than 64 per cent in below-the-knee procedures, with no serious adverse effects.

The company has recently appointed a new management team led by Brian Howlett (former chief executive of Lombard Medical Technologies) as non-executive chairman and Dr Tom Shepherd (former chief executive of CXR Biosciences) as chief executive. The team is further strengthened by Jane Williamson, formerly of Abbott Vascular, as sales director.