SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Advanced emphysema patients who underwent minimally invasive InterVapor™ (bronchoscopic thermal vapor ablation) experienced sustained improved lung function and quality of life outcomes one year after undergoing treatment, according to new data presented today at the meeting of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) in San Francisco, CA. The InterVapor procedure, pioneered by U.S.-based Uptake Medical, involves catheter-based application of precise amounts of thermal vapor to specific areas within an emphysema patient’s airways, to achieve lung volume reduction.

According to lead presenter Prof. Felix Herth of Thoraxklinik, Heidelberg, Germany, in his presentation, VAPOR Trial: 12 Month Efficacy and Safety Following Endoscopic Thermal Vapor Ablation (InterVapor™) For Patients With Heterogeneous Emphysema, individuals who underwent the InterVapor procedure maintained statistically significant lung volume reduction at 12 months, with lung volume in the targeted region reduced by 46% compared to the patients’ baseline. One year after their procedure in only one lung, InterVapor patients experienced sustained, clinically and statistically significant lung function improvements. These included 10% mean improvements in forced expiratory volume (FEV1), and an average 303ml improvement in residual volume (RV), both important measures of a person’s ability to breathe.

According to Prof. Herth, InterVapor patients also experienced less breathlessness and a sustained improvement in health-related quality of life compared to baseline, as observed by an average improvement of 11 units in the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ).

“Patients who received the InterVapor procedure experienced improved lung function and health outcomes one year following treatment, and these improvements continued despite expectations for disease-related decline over time,” said Prof. Herth. “The data on these real benefits for patients reinforce this technology’s potential as a new therapeutic option for managing severe emphysema.”

Additional Positive Indicators for InterVapor

Clinical posters presented during the ATS meeting further reinforced InterVapor’s clinical profile. A poster authored by Armin Ernst, MD (Boston, USA), illustrated a correspondence between greater benefit and higher disease severity (GOLD stage classification). A second poster, authored by Arschang Valipour, MD (Vienna, Austria), illustrated that corresponding lower lobe volumes increased and that there was no relevant effect on the opposite lung. A third poster, authored by Daniela Gompelmann, MD (Heidelberg, Germany), reported a correlation between more prominent respiratory symptoms during the first four weeks of post-procedure recovery, and greater long-term efficacy.

“We are very encouraged by the continued clinical results demonstrating InterVapor’s sustained success,” said King Nelson, CEO of Uptake Medical. “It is particularly impressive to see these improvements in a broad spectrum of patients, and we look forward to helping more patients with severe emphysema experience the benefits of this important therapy.”

Uptake Medical’s InterVapor system is an endoscopic treatment for patients with severe emphysema and the first and only approach to endoscopic lung volume reduction that uses the body’s natural healing process without using any chemicals or requiring implants in the lung. Patients in both the clinical trial and early commercial cases reported clinically meaningful improvements in breathing function, exercise capacity and quality of life. Uptake Medical has received CE mark and Therapeutic Goods Authority (TGA) approval to market in the European Union and Australia. Additional information about Uptake Medical and the InterVapor procedure are available at www.uptakemedical.com. InterVapor is a trademark of Uptake Medical Inc.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1cAWU)

Steven Kesten, chief medical officer at Uptake Medical, answered some questions from medGadget about the company and its technology. Read more…

TUSTIN, Calif., Jan. 9, 2012 – Uptake Medical® today announced that it has closed on a Series C funding round. The round was led by Singapore-based Crescent Point Group, with existing investors, Maverick Capital, ONSET Ventures, GBS Venture Partners, WRF Capital, Arboretum Ventures and Affinity Capital, making additional investments. Sami Sindi, Crescent Point managing partner, will join the Uptake Medical board of directors. Moelis & Company acted as financial advisor to the company in connection with the funding.

R. King Nelson, president and chief executive officer of Uptake Medical, commented, “Finalizing this very successful round of financing represents another positive step for Uptake Medical. We are thrilled with the addition of Crescent Point to our board and we are equally pleased that our current investors remain committed to Uptake Medical as we continue the commercialization of InterVapor.”

The Series C financing has occurred at the end of an eventful year for Uptake Medical. The company received CE mark approval for its first product, InterVapor™, in September, completed the first commercial use of InterVapor in Germany in November, and recently announced TGA approval for InterVapor to be marketed in Australia. InterVapor is the first non-surgical, endoscopic lung volume reduction system for the treatment of severe emphysema that uses the body’s natural healing processes without leaving implants or foreign materials in the lung.

“Uptake Medical’s technology offers a new opportunity to address the needs of millions of patients around the world with severe emphysema,” commented Crescent Point’s Sami Sindi. “I look forward to working with the Uptake Medical team in successfully furthering their commercial initiatives.”

Scott Huennekens, president and chief executive officer of Volcano Corporation and Uptake Medical board member, added, “Uptake Medical has a strong leadership team, solid clinical data and is now executing on its commercial strategies. The company is well positioned to establish InterVapor as the standard of care for lung volume reduction.”

About Emphysema/COPD
The global incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which includes emphysema, is on the rise and will become the third leading cause of death by 2030. In the U.S., where nearly 5 million people are diagnosed with emphysema, it already holds this position with one person dying every four minutes from COPD. Debilitating and costly, nearly $50 billion was spent addressing the direct and indirect costs associated with COPD in the U.S. in 2010.

About Uptake Medical
Uptake Medical® is focused on the development and commercialization of innovative, non-surgical treatments for lung diseases. InterVapor™ is the first and only approach to endoscopic lung volume reduction for people with severe emphysema that uses the body’s natural healing process without leaving any implants or foreign materials in the lung. In clinical studies, InterVapor has demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in breathing function, exercise capacity and quality of life. With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Uptake Medical received the CE mark and TGA approval to commercialize InterVapor. More information can be found at www.uptakemedical.com.

Uptake Medical and InterVapor are registered trademarks and trademarks of Uptake Medical.

CONTACT: Deborah Jones Strategies deborah@strategiesadpr.com (714) 957-8880, ext. 113

TUSTIN, Calif., Nov. 29, 2011 – Uptake Medical^® today announced the first commercial use of theInterVapor™ System for endoscopic lung volume reduction in a patient with severe emphysema. The patient successfully underwent treatment with InterVapor, the first endoscopic lung volume reduction system for the treatment of severe emphysema that uses the body’s natural healing processes without leaving foreign materials in the lung. The patient was treated by the team at the Thoraxklinik in Heidelberg, Germany, which is led by Professor Dr. Felix Herth and is recognized as a leading institution for pioneering new therapeutic options for people with emphysema.

“As investigators in the VAPOR trial, we observed the benefits our patients received from InterVapor and we are pleased to be selected to introduce InterVapor,” commented Professor Dr. Felix Herth, Chief, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Thoraxklinik Heidelberg. “It is particularly fitting that the first patient case has taken place in November, which marks COPD Awareness month, as InterVapor offers a new treatment option for patients who are looking for relief from their emphysema.”

Emphysema is a progressive disease in which the lungs are permanently damaged. This leads to a condition called hyperinflation, which impacts breathing function and forces patients to take short, shallow breaths, severely impacting quality of life. The InterVapor System directly induces reduction of hyperinflation, a problem for patients with severe emphysema. InterVapor is a non-surgical procedure which treats hyperinflated parts of the lungs with heated water vapor. InterVapor triggers the body’s natural healing process, gradually reducing the treated portion of the lungs and increasing the ability to breathe more fully. Unlike other approaches to lung volume reduction, InterVapor does not leave foreign materials in the lung, which may require additional procedures for adjustment or removal. Results from the VAPOR trial demonstrated clinically significant improvements in lung function and quality of life for patients with severe emphysema.

“This has been a year of milestones for Uptake Medical,” said R. King Nelson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Uptake Medical. “This first commercial patient case is the culmination of multiple successes including the completion and subsequent publication of the positive results from the VAPOR trial and receipt of the CE Mark for the InterVapor System. The interest in our approach to treating emphysema continues to build and we are enthusiastic as we continue the launch of the InterVapor System.”

About Emphysema/COPD
The global incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which includes emphysema, is on the rise and will become the third leading cause of death by 2030. In the U.S., where nearly 5 million people are diagnosed with emphysema, it already holds this position with one person dying every 4 minutes from COPD. Debilitating and costly, nearly $50 billion was spent addressing the direct and indirect costs associated with COPD in the U.S. in 2010.

About Uptake Medical
With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Uptake Medical^® develops innovative medical technologies for the treatment of lung diseases. InterVapor™, the first product from Uptake Medical, is the first and only approach to endoscopic lung volume reduction for people with severe emphysema that uses the body’s natural healing process without leaving any foreign materials in the lung. In clinical studies, InterVapor has demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in breathing function, exercise capacity and quality of life. InterVapor received the CE Mark in September 2011 and plans to commercialize (in Europe and Australia) over the coming months. More information can be found at www.uptakemedical.com.

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Uptake Medical and InterVapor are registered trademarks and trademarks of Uptake Medical.

CONTACT:

Deborah Jones

Strategies

deborah@strategiesadpr.com

(714) 957-8880, ext. 113

Clinical efficacy of InterVapor has been established by the multi-center VAPOR trial which showed a reduction in lung volume as well as statistical and clinical significance in lung function improvement (FEV1) and health-related quality of life (SGRQ) at six months.

“Our involvement with Uptake Medical and InterVapor goes back to the first usage in patients, and we are delighted to see the TGA approval,” commented Professor Gregory Snell, head of lung transplant services at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. “InterVapor has continued to demonstrate clinical efficacy and safety and we look forward to offering InterVapor to our patients.”

VAPOR trial investigator, Dr. Peter Hopkins of Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane, provided insights into the relevance of new treatment options for emphysema. “Emphysema is a debilitating condition and this patient population is in need of new treatment options. The ability to offer InterVapor to our patients represents an important step in furthering the standard of care for the treatment of severe emphysema.”

“Capping the year by obtaining TGA approval in Australia is another important milestone for Uptake Medical,” said R. King Nelson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Uptake Medical. “We look forward to working with our distributor partner, Aurora BioScience, as we introduce InterVapor in Australia 2012.”

About Emphysema/COPD
The global incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which includes emphysema, is on the rise and will become the third leading cause of death by 2030. In the U.S., where nearly 5 million people are diagnosed with emphysema, it already holds this position with one person dying every 4 minutes from COPD. Debilitating and costly, nearly $50 billion was spent addressing the direct and indirect costs associated with COPD in the U.S. in 2010.

About Uptake Medical
Uptake Medical is focused on the development and commercialization of innovative, non-surgical treatments for lung diseases. InterVapor™ is the first and only approach to endoscopic lung volume reduction for people with severe emphysema that uses the body’s natural healing process without leaving any implants or foreign materials in the lung. In clinical studies, InterVapor has demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in breathing function, exercise capacity and quality of life. Headquartered in Tustin, Calif., Uptake Medical® received the CE mark and TGA approval to commercialize InterVapor. More information can be found at www.uptakemedical.com.

About Aurora BioScience Pty Ltd
Headquartered in Sydney Australia, Aurora BioScience is committed to providing advanced, high quality medical devices and healthcare products to assist medical professionals within Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific healthcare markets contribute to the enhancement of their patients’ quality of life. Our areas of interest include pulmonology, cancer therapies, neurology, haematology and blood products. For more information, please visit www.aurorabioscience.com.au.

Uptake Medical and InterVapor are registered trademarks and trademarks of Uptake Medical.

CONTACT: Deborah Jones of Strategies, +1-714-957-8880, ext. 113, deborah@strategiesadpr.com

The successful treatment of the first two patients in the VAPOR trial occurred on December 17th, 2009 at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. The procedure was performed by Dr. Gregory Snell, Dr. Trevor Williams and the Alfred Hospital team and attended by Founder and CTO Robert Barry. “We continue to be impressed not only with the ease and simplicity of the procedure, but the excellence of the sites participating in this study. The Alfred team continues to lead the way in clinical studies aimed at helping emphysema sufferers,” Barry said.

The VAPOR trial is a multi-national study designed to collect data to support CE Mark approval. It is being conducted at sites in Australia and Europe.

“We are happy to be starting off this trial since we continue to view BTVA as a potential option for patients suffering with severe emphysema based on our experience with earlier BTVA trials. BTVA holds the promise of a safe, simple and effective bronchoscopic approach to lung volume reduction for many patients who have limited treatment options,” stated Gregory Snell, MD.

The VAPOR trial is based on the company’s earlier trial that showed the potential of the BTVA technology to improve the lives of patients suffering with emphysema. In the preceding trial, patients who responded to the treatment demonstrated a clinically meaningful improvement in FEV1 an important pulmonary function measure. Additionally, the average improvement in quality of life as measured by the St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire was more than double the 4 point clinically meaningful improvement standard. The subjects completed the 6-month follow-up with an acceptable safety profile.

Bronchoscopic Thermal Vapor Ablation (BTVA) is a non-surgical bronchoscopic procedure that helps patients with emphysema breathe easier. BTVA achieves lung volume reduction by delivering thermal vapor through a catheter which causes the diseased portion of the lung to gradually reduce in volume. This non-surgical lung volume reduction allows the remaining healthy lung to expand more fully and function more normally.

“We are looking forward to initiating enrollment in all centers and generating a significant pool of clinical data upon which to build our CE Mark submission. We are working with leading centers in Australia and Europe and hope to conclude enrollment early in 2010,” said King Nelson, President and CEO.

Uptake Medical is also initiating Phase I clinical trials in the United States with enrollment commencing in early 2010.

About Uptake Medical
Uptake Medical™ Corp. is a developer of medical technologies for the treatment of lung diseases including emphysema. The core technology is a simple, minimally invasive, non-implant interventional pulmonary approach designed to measurably improve lung function and patient quality of life. Emphysema afflicts over 4 million people in the United States. For more information and a list of participating clinical trial sites, please visit www.uptakemedical.com.

TUSTIN, Calif., Nov. 29, 2011 – Uptake Medical^® today announced the first commercial use of the InterVapor™ System for endoscopic lung volume reduction in a patient with severe emphysema. The patient successfully underwent treatment with InterVapor, the first endoscopic lung volume reduction system for the treatment of severe emphysema that uses the body’s natural healing processes without leaving foreign materials in the lung. The patient was treated by the team at the Thoraxklinik in Heidelberg, Germany, which is led by Professor Dr. Felix Herth and is recognized as a leading institution for pioneering new therapeutic options for people with emphysema.

“As investigators in the VAPOR trial, we observed the benefits our patients received from InterVapor and we are pleased to be selected to introduce InterVapor,” commented Professor Dr. Felix Herth, Chief, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Thoraxklinik Heidelberg. “It is particularly fitting that the first patient case has taken place in November, which marks COPD Awareness month, as InterVapor offers a new treatment option for patients who are looking for relief from their emphysema.”

Emphysema is a progressive disease in which the lungs are permanently damaged. This leads to a condition called hyperinflation, which impacts breathing function and forces patients to take short, shallow breaths, severely impacting quality of life. The InterVapor System directly induces reduction of hyperinflation, a problem for patients with severe emphysema. InterVapor is a non-surgical procedure which treats hyperinflated parts of the lungs with heated water vapor. InterVapor triggers the body’s natural healing process, gradually reducing the treated portion of the lungs and increasing the ability to breathe more fully. Unlike other approaches to lung volume reduction, InterVapor does not leave foreign materials in the lung, which may require additional procedures for adjustment or removal. Results from the VAPOR trial demonstrated clinically significant improvements in lung function and quality of life for patients with severe emphysema.

“This has been a year of milestones for Uptake Medical,” said R. King Nelson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Uptake Medical. “This first commercial patient case is the culmination of multiple successes including the completion and subsequent publication of the positive results from the VAPOR trial and receipt of the CE Mark for the InterVapor System. The interest in our approach to treating emphysema continues to build and we are enthusiastic as we continue the launch of the InterVapor System.”

About Emphysema/COPD
The global incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which includes emphysema, is on the rise and will become the third leading cause of death by 2030. In the U.S., where nearly 5 million people are diagnosed with emphysema, it already holds this position with one person dying every 4 minutes from COPD. Debilitating and costly, nearly $50 billion was spent addressing the direct and indirect costs associated with COPD in the U.S. in 2010.

About Uptake Medical
With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Uptake Medical^® develops innovative medical technologies for the treatment of lung diseases. InterVapor™, the first product from Uptake Medical, is the first and only approach to endoscopic lung volume reduction for people with severe emphysema that uses the body’s natural healing process without leaving any foreign materials in the lung. In clinical studies, InterVapor has demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in breathing function, exercise capacity and quality of life. InterVapor received the CE Mark in September 2011 and plans to commercialize (in Europe and Australia) over the coming months. More information can be found at www.uptakemedical.com.

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Uptake Medical and InterVapor are registered trademarks and trademarks of Uptake Medical.

CONTACT:

Deborah Jones

Strategies

deborah@strategiesadpr.com

(714) 957-8880, ext. 113