Arterial Remodeling Technologies

Arterial Remodeling Technologies (ART) is a French medical device company focused on developing bioresorbable coronary scaffolds. The company's core technology is a bioresorbable stent designed to treat coronary artery disease by providing temporary support to an injured artery before being fully absorbed by the body.

The company's approach addresses the limitations of permanent metallic stents, which can be a source of long-term complications. ART's scaffold provides mechanical support for approximately three months, a period considered necessary for the artery to heal and stabilize after an angioplasty procedure. Following this scaffolding phase, the implant is designed to dismantle and fully resorb within 18 to 24 months, leaving the native artery free of a permanent implant and allowing for positive arterial remodeling.

The technology originated from intellectual property developed at the Cleveland Clinic, the French National Research Institute (CNRS), and Descartes University, Paris. Co-founders include Professor Antoine LaFont, a key figure in interventional cardiology, and Professor Michel Vert, a leading authority in bioresorbable polymers. Their expertise was central to creating a polylactic acid (PLA) based polymer stent that balances biocompatibility, biomechanical performance, and a controlled degradation profile without the use of anti-proliferative drugs in its initial pure form.

A significant milestone for the company was achieving the CE Mark for its drug-free bioresorbable scaffold in May 2015, following extensive pre-clinical and clinical research. The successful first-in-human implantation occurred in 2012 as part of the ARTDIVA (Arterial Remodeling Transient Dismantling Vascular Angioplasty) clinical trial. In March 2014, ART entered a structured buyout agreement with Terumo Corporation, granting Terumo exclusive rights to develop and acquire ART's drug-eluting bioresorbable scaffold technology for coronary applications, with ART retaining rights for all other indications. This partnership positioned the pure bioresorbable scaffold as a platform for next-generation drug-eluting versions.

Keywords: bioresorbable vascular scaffold, coronary artery disease, interventional cardiology, medical devices, arterial remodeling, bioabsorbable stent, biodegradable stent, angioplasty, polylactic acid scaffold, transient scaffold, ARTDIVA trial, percutaneous coronary intervention, vascular healing, drug-free stent, bioresorbable polymers, cardiovascular technology, revascularization, de novo lesions