FDA Expands Approval of Medtronic’s ‘Arctic Front’ Cardiac Catheters

The FDA has expanded its approval of Medtronic’s ‘Arctic Front’ line of cardiac cryoablation catheters.

The expanded indication was supported by results from a clinical trial that showed the cryoablation procedure for preventing atrial arrhythmia recurrence had superior efficacy compared to anti-arrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy.

The Arctic Front catheters are used as an initial cardiac rhythm control strategy to treat recurrent symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation — episodes that last less than seven continuous days — instead of AAD therapy.