Supernova Stent Retriever

Why in News?

India approves indigenous stroke device based on local trial data; launch scheduled for February 2026.

• It is a new, indigenously developed medical device from India, used to treat severe strokes by removing clots and restoring blood flow to the brain within 24 hours.
• Purpose – It is used in mechanical thrombectomy, a minimally invasive procedure to remove clots and restore blood flow in acute ischemic stroke patients.

An acute ischemic stroke is a medical emergency where blood flow to part of the brain is suddenly blocked, usually by a clot, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients, causing cells to die within minutes.

• Developed by – Gravity Medical Technology, a private biomedical firm.
• Clinical trial led by – All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, serving as the national coordinating centre and the lead enrolling site of the Supernova Stent Retriever system (GRASSROOT) study.
• Approved by – The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved the device’s manufacturing & marketing in India.
• Trail Outcomes – It has achieved high successful restoration of blood flow with brain bleed (3.1%), mortality (9.4%), and 50 % functional independence at 90 days.
• Global Context – The device has already been used to treat more than 300 patients in Southeast Asia, reinforcing safety and versatility.
• Affordability – It will now be made in India at affordable prices, bringing new hope to the 1.7 million Indians who suffer strokes each year.
• Significance – It is the 1^st time a stroke device in India has been approved entirely on local trial data, designed to meet India’s unique stroke profile, where patients are often younger than in Western countries.

Quick Fact

References

1. The Hindu | Indigenously built stroke device approved on domestic trial data
2. Business Standard | India sees a sharp rise in strokes among young adults