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RECENT NEWS
Uptake Medical Presents Data from Phase II Clinical Trial for Patients with Heterogeneous Emphysema at 2009 European Respiratory Society (ERS) Meeting in Vienna, Austria Seattle, WA – September 14, 2009. Uptake Medical Corp., a developer of medical technologies for the non-surgical treatment of lung diseases including emphysema, announced today that data will be presented from their most recent clinical trial for emphysema at the 2009 ERS meeting in Vienna, Austria. The phase II clinical trial evaluates the Company's proprietary minimally-invasive Bronchoscopic Thermal Vapor Ablation™ (BTVA™) technology for the treatment of patients suffering from heterogeneous emphysema. The trial was conducted at three centers in Germany with world renowned interventional pulmonologists, Professor Felix Herth and Dr. Ralf Eberhardt of Thoraxklinik am Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Dr. Bernd Schmidt of Charité Campus-Mitte, Berlin and Professor Joachim Ficker of Klinikum Nürnberg from late 2008 to early 2009. There were 11 patients enrolled in the study with follow-up out to six months. The results of this initial study demonstrate the significant potential of the BTVA technology to improve the lives of patients suffering with emphysema. Patients who responded to the treatment demonstrated an average improvement in FEV1 greater than the clinically meaningful threshold of 12%. 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. There were no deaths and the safety profile continues to be acceptable. “Our early experience with Bronchoscopic Thermal Vapor Ablation is encouraging; especially when one considers that the study was applied to only one of the two typically diseased lungs. The data shows some positive efficacy trends and an acceptable safety profile. Overall, we found the BTVA procedure to be easy to learn and the BTVA system simple to operate resulting in a minimal learning curve. BTVA holds the promise of a safe, simple and effective bronchoscopic approach to lung volume reduction for many patients suffering from emphysema who have limited treatment options," said Pr. Felix Herth, the principal investigator for the study. 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. The typical vapor delivery time is less than 10 seconds and 3 applications during a single procedure are usually applied per lung. This non-surgical lung volume reduction allows the remaining healthy lung to expand more fully and function more normally. "We continue to be encouraged by how the BTVA technology is performing. Based on these positive results we are moving into a larger trial to gain the necessary data to obtain our CE mark and begin commercialization” said King Nelson, President and CEO. "This latest study demonstrates that the BTVA technology is working as intended, resulting in lobar volume reduction for all patients including those with collateral ventilation. The benefits of this non-surgical, non-implant therapy that uses the body’s own ability to heal are becoming apparent.” ” said Robert Barry, Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Uptake Medical is initiating clinical trials in the United States, Europe and Australia. 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 3 million people in the United States. < Back |
| The Bronchoscopic Thermal Vapor Ablation System (BTVA) is investigational and not approved for use in the United States or abroad. |
| ©2010 Uptake Medical™ |