Abiomed, FDA Attribute High Mortality In Impella RP Post-Market Data To Patient Selection

FDA sent a letter to physicians alerting them to interim results from the post-approval study of Abiomed’s Impella RP right-heart pump system that suggest a higher mortality rate for patients than what was observed in pre-market studies. FDA believes the benefits of the Impella RP system continue to outweigh the risks for patients covered by the currently approved indication; it emphasizes to physicians the importance of early placement of Impella RP, and the importance of following proper inclusion and exclusion criteria when selecting patients. The results cited by FDA were announced about two months after results of a non-randomized study in Germany cast doubt on the benefits of Impella for left-sided support in cardiogenic shock patients.