HeartWare, a global medical device company dedicated to delivering safe, high-performing and transformative therapies that enable patients with heart failure to get back to life, recently won Miami-Dade Beacon Council Award in the Life Sciences category.
During the organization’s 13th annual awards ceremony held at the University of Miami Student Activities Center in Coral Gables, the Miami Lakes company, located at 14420 N.W. 60 Avenue, was recognized for its achievements in successfully treating people with heart conditions.
The company’s innovative technologies are creating advances in the miniaturization of Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) leading to less invasive surgical procedures and increasing the patient population who may be suitable for VAD therapy.
According to HeartWare, heart failure is a degenerative, terminal disease that affects more than 20 million people worldwide, and causing more than 7.25 million deaths a year.
About one million people suffer from Class IV heart failure, the most severe stage of the disease.
Heart transplant surgery is a proven treatment option for class IV heart failure patients but a limited number of donor hearts become available each year, according to HeartWare.
Ventricular assist devices can provide circulatory support until a donor heart becomes available or provide long-term support as an alternative to transplantation, which is called destination therapy.
HeartWare’s breakthrough innovations begin with the company’s miniaturized ventricular assist device, which is called HVAD Pump that’s designed to be implanted next to the heart in the pericardial space avoiding the more invasive surgical procedures required with older versions of LVAD technologies.
Andres Toledo, vice president of Operations for HeartWare, accepted the Beacon Council award. He was joined by Miami Lakes Mayor Wayne Slaton and Councilmember Ceasar Mestre.
“With over 600 employees in our town, Miami Lakes wishes the company much more success in the future,” said Slaton.