About 3% of the general population, or an estimated 6 million people in the US, has an intracranial aneurysm. Ruptured intracranial aneurysms are fatal in about 40% of cases, and 4 out of 7 persons who survive have significant disabilities. Most intracranial aneurysm patients are treated using minimally invasive, endovascular therapy with microcoils placed into the aneurysm cavities. However, coil embolization therapy shows high rates (~30%) of subacute and chronic aneurysm recurrence, causing retreatment with its attendant risk of stroke. In the past 10 years, intraluminal flow diversion devices have been successfully used in aneurysm therapy. The flow diversion aneurysm treatment market is poised to grow by USD 1.64 billion by 2024, progressing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 8% during that time frame. The most feared risk is that of rupture, leading to devastating consequences. These flow diverters have compact, metallic mesh structures and are placed within the parent artery, across the neck of the aneurysm, to divert flow and achieve aneurysm occlusion. Recent case series have demonstrated high rates of long-term aneurysm occlusion using these flow diverters. The most serious concern for the use of flow diverter therapy is clot formation on the diverter with subsequent stroke. Thus, all patients treated with flow diverter devices require long-term antiplatelet therapy – a minimum of 3 months post-procedure. If the aneurysm occlusion process could be accelerated and thrombus formation in the artery minimized, this could shorten the need for antiplatelet therapy and decrease embolic and bleeding risks. Recent studies strongly suggest that complete endothelialization of any occlusion device is essential for durable occlusion, but such endothelialization is prolonged with standard flow diverter technology. The Endomimetics’ nanomatrix is currently being evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. We anticipate that the nanomatrix coating on flow diverters can enhance healing, thereby promoting durable occlusion of aneurysms.
 |  |