Healthcare Industry News: Artificial Kidney
News Release - October 15, 2010
On-X Life Technologies Appoints Senko Exclusive Distributor of the On-X Heart Valve in Japan
On-X Valve Provides Superior Performance in Japanese Clinical StudiesAUSTIN, Texas--(Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network)-- On-X® Life Technologies, Inc. (On-X LTI), today announced the appointment of Senko Medical Trading Co. as the exclusive marketing and distributor of the On-X® Prosthetic Heart Valve in Japan. Japan is the second largest market in the world for mechanical heart valves after the U.S. Marketing of the On-X valve will be launched on October 24-27, 2010, during the 63rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery in Osaka, Japan.
The On-X heart valve is approved in most countries in the world and has been approved in Japan since 2005. According to a July 2010 report issued by Health Research International, there are approximately 18,000 heart valve replacement surgeries in Japan annually. Over the past five years more than 3,000 On-X valves have been implanted in Japan. Clinical presentations and publication by Japanese surgeons from Sakakibara Heart Institute in Tokyo and Kobe University Hospital in Kobe have documented the value of the On-X valve with Japanese patients.
“The On-X valve offers the best opportunity for patients to have a permanent solution to their valve disease with minimized risk of valve-related complications such as bleeding or replacement,” said Makoto Aoki, president of Senko Medical Instrument Mfg. Co, Ltd. “We are pleased to be able to bring this revolutionary heart valve to Japan, because it provides Japanese heart patients with a significant chance for a quality of life improvement over the alternatives.”
The On-X valve is the result of a breakthrough in medical grade carbon technology: On-X pure pyrolytic carbon. In addition to providing a more thrombo-resistant surface, the comparatively high strength of pure On-X carbon enabled On-X LTI to make significant valve design changes that resulted in a prosthesis that acts more like a natural valve in its treatment of blood. It is well documented that the On-X valve does not produce the turbulence and blood damage commonly produced by other mechanical heart valve prostheses and therefore significantly reduces the potential for life-threatening blood clots.
“Senko has many years of experience with mechanical heart valves and is an outstanding distribution and marketing organization within the cardiovascular surgery space,” said Clyde Baker, president and CEO of On-X LTI. “The company’s credibility in combination with the excellent record of performance of the On-X valve will undoubtedly lead to significant penetration of the Japanese heart valve market.”
The On-X valve is presently the subject of a ground-breaking study (Prospective Randomized On-X Anticoagulation Clinical Trial – PROACT) in the United States. The purpose of the PROACT trial is to determine if patients implanted with the On-X valve can be safely maintained with reduced levels of Warfarin anticoagulation or eliminate the use of Warfarin altogether. The study is U.S. FDA approved and is being conducted in 40 centers in the U.S.
About Senko
Senko Medical Trading Co. is an expert importer of medical devices to the Japanese market. It was established in 1964 as a subsidiary of Senko Medical Instrument Mfg. Co., Ltd., and has continually scoured the medical markets overseas in search of better, higher quality products. Its business line encompasses a vast spectrum of products, from cardiothoracic and orthopedic products to anesthetic and otolaryngology products. The company is Japan’s leading medical trade supplier.
Since Senko Medical Instrument Mfg. Co., Ltd. was founded in 1950, Senko has been refining its technological research and development system, thus allowing it to make important contributions to the medical industry in Japan. Numerous successful product developments by the company, including anesthetic systems, Artificial Kidneys and oxygenators, have firmly consolidated Senko’s position in Japan’s medical industry. Senko’s service offices across Japan, its marketing team, reliable maintenance services and established trust among clients have earned Senko an outstanding reputation in the Japanese market.
About On-X LTI
On-X® Life Technologies (On-X LTI) develops heart valve replacements that significantly improve the quality of life of patients. Jack Bokros, Ph.D., and his associates founded On-X LTI in 1994 to further advance prosthetic heart valve technology by capitalizing on their new form of pyrolytic carbon. The company has FDA, CE and Japanese approval for sale of the On-X® valve. On-X LTI also provides contract-manufacturing services utilizing its patented pyrolytic carbon to manufacturers of other medical products, including orthopedic joint and spine prostheses. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, On-X LTI is a privately held company. More information is located at www.onxlti.com.
On-X is a registered trademark of On-X Life Technologies, Inc.
Source: On-X Life Technologies
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