GIE Medical, a US-based, clinical stage company, announced on Thursday that it has enrolled the first patient for its Paclitaxel Coated Balloon for the treatment of Chronic Benign Stricture - Bowel (PATENT-B) study.

The study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of the first of its kind ProTractX3 TTS drug coated balloon (DCB), and the first patient was enrolled at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) in Pittsburgh, Pennysylvania.

People that may qualify to participate in the PATENT-B study are 22 years of age or older, have been diagnosed with symptomatic benign bowel stricture with at least two earlier dilations, and have stricture length less than or equal to 5cm.

Dr Gursiman S Kochhar, division chief of AHN Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, said, 'Advancements in endoscopic stricturotomy, such as balloon dilation to open strictures in the bowel or oesophagus, have been key to the minimally invasive management of strictures which develop in the bowel or oesophagus. The ProTractX3 TTS DCB – which releases medication into the stricture following dilation – stands to further advance this endoscopic treatment by helping to prevent stricture reformation and ultimately improve outcomes for patients. As a national leader in the field of advanced endoscopy for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we are extremely pleased to enrol the first patient in this study and look forward to the impact this device might have for patients managing bowel strictures.'