ABBOTT ANNOUNCES EUROPEAN LAUNCH OF AMPLATZER™ TALISMAN™ SYSTEM TO CLOSE HOLE IN HEART FOR PEOPLE AT RISK OF RECURRENT STROKE

- Abbott's Talisman system seals an opening in the heart known as a "patent foramen ovale" (PFO) to prevent blood clots from passing from the right to the left side of the heart and on to the brain, where they can cause a stroke

- The Talisman system builds on the Amplatzer PFO Occluder, the world's leading PFO closure device, and comes with the delivery cable pre-attached, making it easier for physicians to use and reducing preparation time

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Sept. 7, 2022 — Abbott today announced the European launch of its Amplatzer™ Talisman™ PFO Occlusion System to treat people with a patent foramen ovale (PFO) – a hole in the heart that doesn't close following birth – who have experienced a stroke and are at risk of having another. The new Talisman PFO occluders come pre-attached to the delivery cable, designed to reduce preparation time for doctors and making the system easier to use. 

Nearly one in four people have a PFO^[i], which may allow blood clots to pass from the right side of the heart to the left, from where they can eventually travel to the brain. For patients who have suffered a stroke, physicians may opt for occlusion (or closure) of the PFO through a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure using a device like the Talisman system to seal off the opening to reduce the risk of another stroke.

"Guidelines from industry organizations and clinical trial data continue to reinforce the benefits of PFO closure for people who have had a PFO-associated stroke," said Matthew Daniels, BSc, MA, MB BChir, MRCP, FSCAI, honorary consultant cardiologist in Manchester, England, who completed the first European procedure with the Talisman system. "We're excited that physicians around Europe now have access to the Talisman device to help reduce patients' risk and worry of experiencing another stroke."

The Amplatzer Talisman system builds off the company's industry-leading Amplatzer PFO Occluder. While physicians had to attach the Amplatzer PFO Occluder to the delivery cable before performing the implant procedure, the Talisman occluder now comes pre-assembled to the Amplatzer Trevisio™ delivery cable, reducing prep time ahead of the procedure and making it easier to use. The Talisman system accommodates a wide range of patient anatomies and an updated 30mm occluder size optimizes how it fits in the heart. The Talisman device is fully recapturable and repositionable so doctors can easily make adjustments for accurate placement.

"Our trusted PFO closure technology has been used to treat more than 180,000 people worldwide and we haven't let up on continuing to innovate to best serve physicians and patients," said Michael Dale, senior vice president of Abbott's structural heart business. "The Talisman system simplifies the procedure for doctors and helps patients quickly get back to living fuller, healthier lives."

For more information on Talisman, visit https://abbo.tt/Talisman_PFO.

About Abbott:

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 113,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

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[i] Mayo Clinic. Patent foramen ovale. September 2021.