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Exeleras is the first of its kind minimally invasive device that wassuccessfully placed via a subcutaneous procedure in a hybrid cardiacinterventional suite at Universitatsklinikum Essen, Germany. The deviceplacement does not require a traditional operating room nor does it requirethe patient to undergo the hardship of an open-chest procedure. Ken Charhut,President and CEO commented, "Exeleras is well poised to provide long-termAortic Flow Therapy to address the treatment gap where over 4 million NYHAClass III heart failure patients worldwide find themselves today. The successof the long-term Exeleras System, coupled with our short-term Cancion product,will enable physicians around the world to employ low-risk Aortic Flow Therapyto treat heart failure patients. This adoption will propel the company'sgrowth.
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Dr Steven F. Bolling, Professor of Cardiac Surgery, University of Michiganwas present for the procedure and added, "This is a transformational therapywith an easy to perform procedure which promises to provide a viable long-termsolution to the large number of Class III heart failure patients who are farupstream of the disease progression that is typically associated with moreinvasive ventricular assist devices." Dr Reynolds Delgado III, MedicalDirector, Mechanical Assist Devices in Heart Failure, Texas Heart Institute,contributed, "The procedure performed in Essen well-demonstrated thefeasibility and hemodynamic efficacy of Aortic Flow Therapy with the ExelerasSystem in a patient who exemplifies the large number of patients who woulddirectly benefit from this less-invasive approach."
The first set of patients will be implanted with the Exeleras System toevaluate the short-term safety and performance attributes of the device. "Thesuccess of our initial clinical evaluations will allow us to best define theclinical protocols to properly study the potential long-term effect andbenefit offered by this exciting new therapy," stated Marvin Konstam, M.D.Medical Director, Orqis Medical, and Professor of Medicine, Tufts University.
About Heart Failure
Over 5 million Americans suffer from heart failure, a condition in whichthe heart becomes weakened and cannot pump blood efficiently. In the U.S.,heart failure results in over 1 million hospitalizations annually and isresponsible for over $33 billion in direct and indirect costs to the U.S.healthcare system each year.
About Orqis Medical Corporation
Orqis Medical Corporation is a privately held medical device company thatdevelops and sells minimally invasive devices that unload the heart withouttouching the heart and improve cardiac performance. Orqis devices enableAortic Flow Therapy to provide a low-risk treatment option for patients notresponsive to optimal medical management but also not suitable candidates formore invasive procedures. The percutaneous Cancion product has secured the CEmark. The implantable Exeleras(R) System is in clinical development. For moreinformation on Orqis Medical, please visit http://www.orqis.com
Note: Orqis(R), Cancion(R), and Exeleras(R) are registered trademarks ofOrqis Medical Corporation.
SOURCE Orqis Medical Corporation
