October 11, 2012 — Spectranetics Corp. announced the U.S. market launch of the Tapas catheter at the 2012 Vascular Interventional Advances (VIVA) conference in Las Vegas. Tapas is manufactured by ThermopeutiX Inc. and distributed by Spectranetics. In conjunction with the launch at VIVA, Mehdi Shishehbor, department of cardiovascular medicine, Cleveland Clinic, will present his study results on preclinical animal data at a VIVA continuing medical education (CME) event titled "Contemporary Options for Complex Lower Extremity Disease." This CME event is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Spectranetics. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the uptake of a drug delivered intra-arterially via the Tapas catheter in a swine model.
The Tapas catheter is the first drug infusion system to provide a versatile solution using a single adjustable and repositionable catheter to deliver any physician-specified drug or diagnostic agent. Its dual occlusion balloon design allows for precise targeting of the treatment area, delivery and dwell time of the drug, and aspiration to minimize systemic effects.
"The addition of Tapas to our portfolio reflects our recognition of the clinical need for localized drug therapy within peripheral arteries," said Jason Hein, senior vice president and general manager of vascular intervention at Spectranetics. "This is an exciting opportunity for physicians to provide an adjunctive therapy to their patients whose recurrent disease has not been successfully managed with existing treatment options."
Rich Kovach, chief of interventional cardiology, Deborah Heart and Lung Center, said, "I have found the Tapas catheter to be very easy to use and the versatility is quite appealing. The adjustability of the device allows lesions from 15 mm to 300 mm to be treated with one device, and it can be used to treat multiple lesions within a single vessel. The device also allows the physician to choose the agent that would best serve the patient's clinical presentation. Using a device with such versatility also provides potential for significant economic benefit over other technologies, which can only be used once in the same patient, and need to be stocked in multiple sizes."
The Tapas catheter provides physicians a unique option for localized drug delivery to help address the growing clinical need for new treatments for peripheral arteries. According to The Sage Group, peripheral artery disease (PAD) of the lower extremities affects approximately 17 million people in the United States, although many patients are unaware of their condition or the seriousness of it. PAD patients have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and a significantly increased risk of amputation, disability and diminished quality of life.
For more information: www.vivapvd.com or www.spectranetics.com
November 14, 2025 
