Healthcare Industry News: Ampion
News Release - February 6, 2007
Theragenics Corporation(R) Bucks Traditional Healthcare Marketing and Returns to Professional Bull Riding to Promote Prostate Cancer Treatment Awareness Campaign
Leading Prostate Cancer Treatment Device Provider Signs ChAmpion Bull Rider to Reach Men Nationwide with an Educational MessageATLANTA--(HSMN NewsFeed)--Theragenics Corporation, a medical device company serving the prostate cancer and surgical markets (NYSE: TGX ), announces its return to the sport of professional bull riding to promote its prostate cancer treatment awareness campaign. Professional bull rider Greg Potter will serve as the campaign's spokesman, educating men with the campaign's simple message - "Know your options for prostate cancer treatment."
The campaign launched in tandem with the 2007 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Built Ford Tough Series tour, which kicked off in New York City in January at Madison Square Garden.
"In 2005 we became the first cancer treatment company to sponsor the PBR," said M. Christine Jacobs, CEO and president of Theragenics. "The general appeal of the PBR allowed us to effectively message to men, and the success of that campaign exceeded our expectations. With the addition of Greg Potter, we look forward to building on the momentum we created two years ago."
Previous campaign spokesman and chAmpion bull rider Owen Washburn blazed the trail in 2005 with personal appearances and a breakthrough television commercial that broadcast in key markets nationwide. As a result of the Company's awareness efforts, calls to the TheraSeed® Prostate Cancer Information Center increased by up to 2,000 percent over typical volumes in the broadcast markets. This campaign had particular resonance and TheraSeed® sales increased in most of the targeted markets.
Back in the "Saddle" with a ChAmpion Bull Rider
Theragenics, a leading provider of brachytherapy ("seeding") devices for prostate cancer treatment, including TheraSeed, chose to focus campaign efforts exclusively on the sport of bull riding after recognizing its increased popularity with a mainstream audience. Professional bull riding continues to be the fastest-growing sport in the nation, attracting more than 100 million television viewers and 18 million live attendees.
Theragenics selected Potter, a chAmpion professional bull rider and former Australian bull riding chAmpion, to promote the campaign's educational message through personal appearances in select cities throughout the country in conjunction with the PBR's Built Ford Tough Series tour. He will lend his voice to the campaign through media interviews and visits to medical centers in key markets.
"I understand the importance of knowing your options for prostate cancer treatment," said Potter. "My family has experienced firsthand the effects of this disease, and I feel that it is my responsibility to educate men about their treatment options."
TheraSeed, a prostate cancer treatment device manufactured by Theragenics, produces cure rates better than or equal to surgery, yet it works with a lower risk of complications, such as incontinence and impotence. The minimally invasive outpatient procedure offers faster healing times than surgery.
Theragenics also will air the Owen Washburn television commercial in key cities across the country to complement the grassroots effort.
Theragenics Corporation (NYSE: TGX ) operates two business segments: its brachytherapy seed business and its surgical products business. The brachytherapy business manufactures and markets its premiere product, the palladium-103 TheraSeed® device and I-Seed, an iodine-125 based device, which are used primarily in the minimally invasive treatment of localized prostate cancer. Its surgical products business manufactures and distributes wound closure, needles, and other surgical products used in the urology, veterinary, orthopedic and other markets, and disposable medical devices used for vascular access. For additional information, call Theragenics' Investor Relations Department at (800) 998-8479 or visit www.theragenics.com.
This release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which is necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, statements regarding optimism for Theragenics' sales organization and its growth, Theragenics' sales, new sales and marketing initiatives. Actual results may differ materially due to a variety of factors, including, among other things, risks and uncertainties related to the effectiveness and execution of marketing and sales programs by Theragenics and its distributors, changes in product pricing by Theragenics or other brachytherapy seed producers, changes in costs of materials used in production processes, continued acceptance of the products by the market, continued demand for palladium-103, introduction and/or availability of competitive products by others, third-party (including CMS) reimbursement, physician training, third-party distribution agreements, and other factors set forth from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
All forward looking statements and cautionary statements included in this document are made as of the date hereby based on information available to the Company as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward looking statement or cautionary statement.
Source: Theragenics
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