Medtronic commences new trial of Symplicity system

Medtronic has announced that the first patients have been randomised in the latest clinical trial of its Symplicity renal denervation system.

The Symplicity HTN-4 trial will assess the benefits of the system among patients with moderate uncontrolled hypertension and is aimed at potentially expanding access to the Symplicity device for an even larger uncontrolled hypertension patient population.

Up to 580 patients will be involved in the study, which will take place in the US and will accompany the previously-announced Symplicity HTN-3 trial.

Nina Goodheart, vice-president and general manager for renal denervation at Medtronic, said the trial "demonstrates Medtronic's commitment to providing randomised safety and efficacy data for renal denervation in a wide variety of patients, as well as helping increase our understanding of the potential benefit of renal denervation".

This comes after the company announced the first in-human implant of the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System, the world's smallest pacemaker, took place earlier this month in Austria as part of a new study of the device.