Healthcare Industry News: Ablation Catheter
News Release - May 1, 2007
Next-Generation Catheter Treats Diseased Leg Veins More Than Twice as Fast as Previous RF Devices
VNUS ClosureFAST(TM) Catheter Treats Underlying Cause of Varicose Veins With Little Pain and BruisingSAN JOSE, Calif., May 1 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- VNUS® Medical Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNUS ), a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease, today announced the recent launch of the VNUS ClosureFAST catheter, a major advance in the treatment of the underlying cause of varicose veins.
ClosureFAST is an endovenous radiofrequency (RF) Ablation Catheter that is designed to heat, shrink and close diseased saphenous veins (large leg veins) in three to five minutes of RF treatment -- as fast as laser ablation devices -- with minimal pain and bruising. The entire ClosureFAST procedure, from insertion of the catheter to removal, can now be completed in approximately 16 minutes -- less than half the time required for previous RF-based procedures. Since the ClosureFAST catheter received FDA clearance in August 2006, more than 150 physicians in the US and Europe have used the device, and it is now in general distribution to physicians.
"The new ClosureFAST catheter has cut our vein closure procedure time considerably, and it reduces my actual pullback time through the vein from 20 minutes to three," said Dr. Daniel Monahan, director of the Vein Surgery & Treatment Center of Northern California in Roseville, California. "The increased efficiency makes the procedure less tedious, which is easier on me and delights the patients -- their typical reaction is, 'I can't believe you're finished already.'"
"The new ClosureFAST catheter is exactly what we need as physicians performing ablation," said Dr. Alan B. Lumsden of the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston, Texas. "It's a rapid procedure with excellent treatment outcomes, and it maintains the minimal patient discomfort levels we are accustomed to with RF catheters. Now that ClosureFAST is available, there is little rationale for using the laser."
"The ClosureFast catheter offers a significant change in the treatment of patients with venous disease," said Dr. Garth Rosenberg of Maryland Surgical Care in Frederick, Maryland. "In the cases I have performed to date, I have observed very high patient satisfaction, because treatment is completed so quickly and effectively. Venous disease is prevalent and relatively undertreated, and I see the ClosureFast catheter as having the potential to help a large group of patients."
"We're tremendously pleased with the enthusiastic reception for ClosureFAST in the medical community," said Brian E. Farley, president and CEO of VNUS. "The dozens of physicians who have tested the device over the past year have reported very high patient satisfaction with the procedure, and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We consider ClosureFAST a promising new treatment for venous reflux, and we expect it to establish a leading market presence."
ABOUT VNUS MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Founded in 1995 and headquartered in San Jose, California, VNUS Medical Technologies is a worldwide leader in medical devices for the minimally invasive treatment of venous reflux disease, a progressive condition that causes the varicose veins afflicting 25 million Americans. The pioneering company in the field, VNUS now offers the ClosureFAST system, which consists of a proprietary radiofrequency (RF) generator and proprietary disposable endovenous catheters and devices to close diseased veins through the application of temperature-controlled RF energy. VNUS devices have been used in more than 200,000 procedures worldwide. For more information, please visit www.vnus.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
In addition to statements of historical facts or statements of current conditions, VNUS has made forward-looking statements in this press release. Words such as "expects" or variations of such words and similar expressions, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements in this press release. Actual results may differ materially from current expectations based on a number of factors affecting VNUS' business, including, among other things, market acceptance of the ClosureFAST catheter, customer and physician preferences, our ability to manufacture sufficient quantities of the ClosureFAST catheter, and the effectiveness of advertising and other promotional campaigns. The reader is cautioned not to unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. VNUS expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law.
Additional information concerning these and other risk factors can be found in press releases issued by VNUS and VNUS' periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 30, 2007. Copies of VNUS' press releases and additional information about VNUS are available on the corporate website at www.vnus.com.
Source: VNUS Medical Technologies
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