Medigus To Present Data On MUSE™ Combined With Peroral Treatment Of Achalasia At United European Gastroenterology Week 2014

OMER, Israel, Oct. 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medigus Ltd. (TASE: MDGS), a medical device company developing minimally invasive endosurgical tools and a leader in direct visualization technology, today announced that it will present findings from an animal feasibility study, Reflux Disease Treatment - MUSETM (formerly SRSTM)Procedure Combined with POEM in the Treatment of Achalasia: A Feasibility Study in an Animal Model, during Poster Session # 1623 at the upcoming United European Gastroenterology Week (UEGW), being held in Vienna, Austria, from October 18 - 22, 2014. Study findings were previously presented in April of this year.

"We're proud to be sharing our preliminary study results at such a prestigious forum as UEGW," stated Chris Rowland, CEO of Medigus. "The MUSETM System is a revolutionary device that is leading the transition from invasive gastric surgical procedures to less invasive, patient-friendly techniques by allowing endoscopists to potentially treat GERD that results after certain achalasia treatment procedures with a simplified fundoplication procedure that is administered transorally. A procedure leveraging our system can yield results similar to standard laparascopic treatment for GERD, but without needing incisions. We look forward to engaging key members of the GI community on the benefits of more broadly adopting The MUSETM System."

Achalasia is a disorder of an unknown cause that results in degeneration of the esophageal muscles and the nerves that control them. Common symptoms include difficulty swallowing, chest pains, and regurgitation of stomach contents. Left untreated, complications from achalasia may lead to lung problems, weight loss and even cancer of the esophagus. Patients can be diagnosed with X-ray, endoscopy, or esophageal manometry. Treatment options include oral medications, dilation of the esophagus, invasive surgery, and injection of muscle-relaxing medicines (such as botulinum toxin) directly into the esophagus. There is no confirmed cure, however, and treatment results vary by patient. Oftentimes, patients report having developed GERD following treatment for achalasia.

The MUSETM system merges the latest technological advances in visualization, ultrasound and surgical stapling to enable safe, incisionless procedures within the GI tract. It performs transoral anterior fundoplications with standard surgical staples in a way that is less invasive than traditional, laparoscopic therapies. Because of this, the device may enhance both patient care and hospital efficiency through lower costs and shorter stays. The procedure can be performed by a single operator in an endoscopy suite.

UEGW attendees can visit the Medigus booth (#Y6) to learn more about the MUSETM System.

The MUSETM System Poster Presentation at UEGW
Poster Session # 1623
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM in the Poster area - Hall XL

Poster Presentation: UEG14ABS-1152
Reflux Disease Treatment - MUSETM (formerly SRSTM) Procedure Combined with POEM in the Treatment of Achalasia: A Feasibility Study in an Animal Model Bozzi, Rosamaria; Roy-Shapira, Aviel; Schettino, Pietro; Cattaneo, Fabio; Pezzullo, Angelo M.; Cataneo, Domenico

Medigus will be exhibiting Hall Y, Booth # 6 for the duration of the conference. Exhibition dates and hours are:

Monday, October 20, 2014 9:00 - 17:00
Tuesday, October 21, 2014 9:00 - 17:00
Wednesday, October 22, 2014 9:00 - 14:00

About UEGW

UEG Week is the largest and most prestigious gastroenterology meeting in Europe and has developed into a global congress. It attracts over 14,000 participants each year, from more than 120 countries, and numbers are steadily rising. UEG Week provides a forum for basic and clinical scientists from across the globe to present their latest research in digestive and liver diseases, and also features a two-day postgraduate course that brings together top lecturers in their fields for a weekend of interactive learning.

From October 18-22, 2014, UEG will connect everyone to its annual meeting via livestream on www.ueg.eu. State-of-the-art lectures of Europe's largest GI meeting may be followed online from around the world. Include #UEGWeek in your tweets. UEG Week 24/7 features all recorded sessions from UEG Week and provides convenient and direct access to the complete congress material, including E-posters and abstracts.

About Achalasia and GERD

Achalasia is a disorder that affects the ability of the esophagus to move food into the stomach. Common surgical procedures intended to treat achalasia, such as myotomy, could potentially cause gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as a side effect.

GERD occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter spontaneously opens or does not properly close after use, thereby allowing for stomach contents to rise into the esophagus, causing heartburn, irritation and potentially other discomforts. It affects approximately 24M Americans each year; 14.5M adults experience GERD symptoms at least twice a week, and 2.4M adults experience severe symptoms. While some patients can attain symptom relief through the use of proton pump inhibiters, or PPIs, (acid reducing medications), there is, however, growing concern around the prolonged chronic use of PPIs, including increased risk of bone fracture, infectious complications, and interference with anti-platelet medication and the adsorption of essential vitamins and minerals. A persistent state of untreatable GERD could potentially lead to Barrett's Esophagus, a precancerous state which can lead to esophageal cancer. Patients who suffer from daily GERD are seven times more likely to develop esophageal cancer.

About MUSE TM

The MUSETM System is a leading technology in Natural Orifice Transoral Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) procedures. The single operator system performs anterior partial fundoplication with standard surgical staples in a less invasive way, compared to other surgical procedures. Its intuitive endosurgical platform consists of a single use flexible surgical endostapler, equipped with a proprietary miniature camera, an ultrasonic sight and a range finder. The endostapler, which resembles an endoscope, is designed to be operated by a single user, includes a handle with controls, an 80cm flexible shaft, a 5cm rigid section holding a cartridge with 5 standard 4.8mm titanium surgical staples, a ratchet controlled one-way articulating section, and a distal tip. The MUSE system is FDA cleared and CE marked.

About Medigus

Medigus is a medical device company specializing in developing minimally invasive endosurgical tools and highly innovative imaging solutions. Medigus is a pioneer developer of a unique proprietary endoscopic device, the MUSE system, to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), one of the most common chronic diseases in the western world. As an expert in micro-endoscopic devices, Medigus has developed a range of micro CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) and CCD (charge-coupled device) video cameras, including micro ScoutCamTM 1.2, which to the best of the company's knowledge, is the smallest in the world. These innovative cameras are suitable for both medical and industrial applications. The MUSETM System incorporates Medigus' revolutionary micro ScoutCamTM technology. Based on its proprietary technologies, Medigus designs and manufactures endoscopy and micro camera systems for partner companies, including major players in the medical device and industrial industries. The company is committed to providing integrated solutions to meet all of its customer's imaging needs. Medigus is traded on the TASE (Tel Aviv Stock Exchange). To learn more about the company's advanced technology, please visit http://www.medigus.com/ or www.microscoutcam.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Chantal Beaudry/ Carrie Yamond
Lazar Partners Ltd.
212-867-1762
cbeaudry@lazarpartners.com
cyamond@lazarpartners.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS:
Miri Segal-Scharia
Hayden/ MS-IR LLC
917-607-8654
msegal@ms-ir.com

Press release (PDF) http://hugin.info/157792/R/1863951/654081.pdf

HUG#1863951

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