St. Francis Hospital Enrolls First U.S. Patient in New Cardiovascular Clinical Trial

Catholic Health’s St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® is the first hospital in the United States to enroll a patient in a ground-breaking clinical trial that will investigate the effectiveness of a new device to treat refractory angina.

The COSIRA-II (COronary SInus Reducer for the Treatment of Refractory Angina) trial will study the Neovasc Reducer. The new device is designed to reduce symptoms of refractory angina, a painful and debilitating condition that occurs when the coronary arteries deliver an inadequate supply of blood to the heart muscle despite treatment with standard revascularization or cardiac drug therapies. The condition is estimated to affect 600,000 to 1.8 million Americans, with 50,000 to 100,000 new cases per year.

Results of the study will complement international research on the device and support a pre-market approval application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of Reducer in the U.S.

The first patient was enrolled at St. Francis Hospital under the care of the hospital’s DeMatteis Cardiovascular Institute Director Ziad Ali, M.D., DPhil., and Director of Intravascular Imaging Evan Shlofmitz, D.O. The patient has a history of chronic refractory angina and previously endured multiple cardiac catheterization procedures to treat his recurrent symptoms. None of the previous procedures were successful in alleviating the patient’s chest pain.

“Participating in the COSIRA-II clinical trial once again allows us to be at the forefront in the use of new technology to help treat our patients,” said Catholic Health and St. Francis Hospital Chairman of Cardiology Richard Shlofmitz, M.D. “We are excited by the prospects of this new device and hopeful that it will provide a solution to treat those whose quality of life is negatively impacted by angina.”

Participation in clinical trials continues to be a focus at St. Francis Hospital, rated as one of the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for Cardiology & Heart Surgery and as high performing in abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, heart bypass surgery, and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

The quality care from the renowned St. Francis team is now available across Long Island through St. Francis Heart Center at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown and Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre.

More information on the cardiac care services offered at Catholic Health may be obtained by visiting www.chsli.org/heart-vascular-care or calling (866) MY-LI-DOC.