French drugs agency suspends new Carmat artificial heart implants

PARIS France’s national drugs agency said on Wednesday it had ordered artificial heart maker Carmat to suspend further implants after a fifth patient died in October.

A spokeswoman said that the agency had requested further information from the company following the patients death, which was first reported by Europe 1 radio. The company was not immediately available for comment.

Carmat has not generated any significant revenue but is closely followed by investors as heart diseases represent a leading cause of death worldwide and its devices could represent a major medical breakthrough if proven reliable.

(Reporting by Chine Labbe, writing by Leigh Thomas, Editing by Matthias Blamont)