MONTREAL, March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - CryoCath(R) Technologies Inc., the global leader in cryotherapy products to treat cardiac arrhythmias, today announced the introduction of Arctic Front(R) in Australia. Arctic Front, the company's lead product for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), is a unique cryoablation balloon catheter that allows physicians to safely and effectively isolate all four pulmonary veins to stop PAF.
On March 13 and 14, a group of nine Australian electrophysiologists attended the training program for the Arctic Front system in Melbourne, Australia. Leadership of this program was in the hands of Dr. Jeff Alison, Head of Electrophysiology and Pacing of the Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne, Australia, and Dr. Yves Van Belle of the Thorax Centrum at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Dr. Van Belle is one of the most experienced users of the Arctic Front system and the author of the first publication on this groundbreaking device in a peer reviewed journal. Dr. Alison has received training on the system both in Germany as well as in Montreal. He has also performed the first Arctic Front procedure in Australia in late 2007.
"Arctic Front holds the promise of a breakthrough therapy in the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The data out of Europe strongly supports this belief and we're excited to be able to offer a potentially safer and effective treatment to our patients," said Dr. Alison. "Thousands of Australians suffer from the symptoms of PAF, and a safe and effective therapy can bring a substantial benefit to these patients."
Solid professional education is the foundation of a successful introduction of a new technology. In the first Arctic Front Masters Program (AFMP) held in Australia, nine physicians from two centers were trained on the new technology. As part of the curriculum, they observed two successful procedures performed by Dr. Alison. Through the efforts of Life Systems Medical Inc., CryoCath's exclusive distributor in Australia, an extensive follow-up training program was completed. As a result of this successful program, several first Arctic Front procedures were performed in two further hospitals across Australia over the past few days.
"We're happy to see the rapid growth in the use of Arctic Front now expanding beyond Europe. The rapidly increasing body of positive clinical evidence for the Arctic Front system gives us great confidence that we can continue to show a fast expansion of our user base," said Jan Keltjens, President and CEO of CryoCath. "I am impressed with the efforts of Life Systems Medical and the support from thought leaders in Australia. Well over 2,000 patients across 34 centres in Europe have been treated to date with Arctic Front. The introduction in Australia will further accelerate this momentum and bring the benefits of this breakthrough therapy to large groups of patients."
About CryoCath
CryoCath - www.cryocath.com - is a medical technology company that leads the world in cryotherapy products to treat cardiac arrhythmias. With a priority focus on providing physicians with a complete solution of catheter products to treat cardiac arrhythmias, CryoCath has multiple products approved in the U.S., across Europe and several ROW countries. The Company is developing additional products to expand its pipeline of products to treat cardiac arrhythmias.
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including with respect to the timing of regulatory trials and their outcome. For information identifying legislative or regulatory, economic, climatic, currency, technological, competitive and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, see CryoCath's annual report available at www.sedar.com under the heading Risks and Uncertainties in the Management's Discussion and Analysis section.
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