The Shockwave C2 Aero Fly catheter delivers ultrasonic energy at double the speed of its previous version and with less time between cycles.
Its predecessor, the fifth-generation C2 Aero, made its global debut less than six months ago, and was described by J&J at the time as a game-changer in its field.
“Shockwave C2 Aero Fly is built for the future of coronary interventions, where physicians need proven technologies that can help them move faster without compromising safety or confidence in challenging calcified cases,” Mike Lang, worldwide president of J&J MedTech’s circulatory restoration business, said in a statement.
According to the company, faster energy pulses can now be delivered in 115 seconds at twice per second, versus the 230-second total seen with the C2 Aero and the C2+ models — an important factor when the inflation of the catheter’s balloon temporarily cuts off blood flow to the cardiac muscle. Meanwhile the resting time between cycles has been shortened by 50%.
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The previous C2 Aero added design features to help it more easily cross complex calcifications, as well as smoothly rewrapping the balloon so that it could be repositioned and deployed to other lesions or vessels during the procedure. J&J said the C2 Aero Fly is now available in the U.S.
Last week in its most recent quarterly earnings report, J&J MedTech reported global Shockwave sales were up 17.2% compared to last year, bringing in $325 million versus $278 million, and said they were driven in part by the launch of the C2 Aero catheter. However, broader drops in its cardiovascular and surgery divisions, including in its Impella heart pump franchise, dragged revenue gains down below analyst expectations.
