BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BTG plc (LSE: BTG), the global healthcare company, today announced at the annual PERT ConsortiumTM Meeting in Nashville, TN, a strategic partnership with the PERT ConsortiumTM to advance the science of Pulmonary Embolism (PE) treatment and promote the implementation of PERTTM programs across the U.S.
In the United States, pulmonary embolism afflicts 500,000–600,000 patients annually1,2 and is either a primary or secondary cause of death in 150,000–200,000 of these individuals2. In their new partnership, BTG and the PERT ConsortiumTM are uniting to address this disease via expanding options for professional education, expanding clinical research, establishing quality benchmarks for care of PE, and developing new mobile technologies to convene PERT teams and improve decision-making.
“With this partnership, we are reaffirming our long-standing commitment to improving patient care and reducing in-hospital mortality associated with Pulmonary Embolism,” said BTG Chief Medical Officer, Francis Facchini. “By partnering with the PERT ConsortiumTM, we hope to develop new strategies to transform the PE treatment paradigm.”
“We applaud BTG’s commitment to research and their leadership in the field of PE,” said PERT ConsortiumTM President, Victor Tapson. “This partnership will expand the body of clinical evidence and improve multi-disciplinary decision-making for PE patients.”
“PE is a pervasive disease that is under-recognized and undertreated,” according to Consortium Immediate Past-president Kenneth Rosenfield. “Our collaboration with BTG will enable the PERT ConsortiumTM to increase provider and patient awareness about PE, and establish new benchmarks for high quality care of the patient with this disease.”
About Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary Embolism (PE) is a condition that occurs when a piece of a blood clot breaks off from a clot in the legs and travels through the vasculature -- getting trapped in the Pulmonary Arteries. When this happens, the clot blocks blood from getting to some areas of the lungs to receive oxygen. This may lead to excessive strain on the right side of the heart, ultimately leading to heart failure and/or cardiovascular collapse. PEs can be immediately fatal, but if diagnosed and appropriate therapy started, mortality can be reduced from approximately 30 percent to less than 10 percent.
About Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams (PERT)
The first PERTTM was created by a multi-disciplinary team of physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in 2012. Their intent was to develop the necessary clinical, educational, and research infrastructure for the advancement of PE care. Since then, the PERTTM multidisciplinary approach has allowed for the streamlined evaluation of patients, formulation of comprehensive treatment plans and the rapid mobilization of resources to provide the highest level of care to those in need. The PERTTM model has since grown in popularity and continues to be adopted by institutions across the US and beyond.
About the PERT Consortium
The PERT ConsortiumTM is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization, whose mission is to serve the general public by undertaking activities to advance the status of PE care and promote research, enhance quality, and optimize outcome in the treatment of pulmonary embolism. Specifically, the Consortium intends to: 1) Promote the adoption of the PERT model in healthcare institutions across the United States to ensure the prompt diagnosis and high quality treatment of pulmonary embolism; 2) Expand the current body of scientific literature on the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism through the funding of scientific endeavors; 3) Educate the general public and healthcare professionals regarding pulmonary embolism diagnosis, treatment, and care. To learn more about the PERT Consortium™, please visit: pertconsortium.org.
About BTG
BTG is a global healthcare company focused on Interventional Medicine. Our innovative medical technology helps physicians treat their patients through minimally invasive procedures. We have a growing portfolio of products that advance the treatment of cancer, vascular conditions and severe emphysema. BTG’s Pharmaceuticals business provides products that help patients overexposed to certain medications or toxins. To learn more about BTG, please visit: btgplc.com.
Reference materials as the remarks in the press release:
- The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism. US Department of Health and Human Services report, 2008.
- Ansari A. Acute and chronic pulmonary thromboembolism: current perspectives. I. Glossary of terms, historic evolution and prevalence. Clinical Cardiology(1986), 9:398-402