Vapi: Gujarat based Bilakhia group company Meril Life Sciences today in a statement said it has signed an agreement with Japan’s leading cardiovascular medtech company, Japan Lifeline, which grants Japan Lifeline exclusive rights to promote Meril’s transcatheter heart valve, Myval Octacor, upon PMDA approval in Japan.

Meril in a release stated: Myval Octacor is a balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve implant designed for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement / Implantation (TAVR / TAVI) procedures. It features a wide range of sizes to fit a broader patient population as compared to legacy technology. It also has a unique octagonal cell structure that improves accuracy of placement.

More than 25,000 heart valves manufactured by Meril have been implanted across 75 countries with proven clinical safety, efficacy and are supported by 80+ scientific publications.

Japan Lifeline used to sell heart valves for surgical treatment (SAVR), but the company withdrew from the business area in 2019 due to the rapid spread of TAVR / TAVI.

Japan Lifeline’s President and CEO, Keisuke Suzuki, commented on the exclusive distribution agreement with Meril, saying, “We have been involved in the field of heart valve disease treatment for about 30 years. It’s very emotional for us to re-enter the market with a next generation TAVR / TAVI technology that has proven clinical results worldwide.”