MONTREAL, May 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - CryoCath Technologies Inc., the global leader in cryotherapy products to treat cardiovascular disease, announced today the presentation of 19 oral and poster abstracts all pertaining to CryoCath and its products at the 27th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society, held in Boston May 17-20. The presentations covered the unparalleled safety cryotherapy offers for the treatment of the full range of arrhythmias. This conference is the preeminent annual event for electrophysiologists in North America with more than 6,000 clinicians in attendance this year.
In addition to an unprecedented number of abstracts, CryoCath and cryoablation were the central theme of a CME-accredited symposium, "State of the Art Treatments for Atrial Fibrillation". Topics including Left Atrium Anatomy, Cryoablation for non-AF Arrhythmias and Cryoablation for AF. Among the presenters were Drs. Packer and Pitschner, both of whom have first hand experience with Arctic Front(TM), CryoCath's proprietary catheter to treat AF. Both reiterated that the data from Europe and the STOP AF trial are very promising. The event, provided for by the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, and supported by an educational grant by CryoCath, was attended by more than 250 physicians.
"This event provided an engaged audience with independent validation that clearly articulated the advantages of cryotherapy for the treatment of arrhythmias, including AF," said Allan Zingeler, Vice-President, Global Marketing. "This type of clinical endorsement is invaluable in encouraging the adoption and increased use of CryoCath products. This symposium was the most successful in the Company's history; traffic at our booth increased dramatically subsequent to it."
Also at the conference, the following notable speakers addressed cryoablation:
- Dr. Marc Dubuc of the Montreal Heart Institute spoke on the uses, safety and efficacy of cryoablation. - Dr. George Van Hare of Stanford University chaired a discussion that included Dr. Joel Kirsch of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, who positioned cryoablation as the first line ablative therapy for children with AVNRT. - Dr. Vivek Reddy from the Massachusetts General Hospital discussed the use of new balloon technologies for the treatment of AF and provided an overview of Arctic Front. In addition to its very attractive safety profile, Dr. Reddy highlighted recent improvements; its ability to produce broader lesions and access all pulmonary veins more easily.
"The unprecedented number of abstracts, the participation at the symposium and the high traffic at our booth all reinforce that cryotherapy has become a critical and mainstream modality to treat cardiac arrhythmias," said Steve Arless, President and CEO of CryoCath. "This is further evidenced as clinicians increasingly turn to our technology as a front line treatment for many arrhythmias today and their tangible enthusiasm for cryoablation's potential to become a comprehensive solution for AF."
About CryoCath
--------------
CryoCath - www.cryocath.com - is a medical technology company that leads the world in cryotherapy products to treat cardiovascular disease. With a priority focus on providing physicians with a complete solution of catheter and surgical products to treat cardiac arrhythmias, CryoCath has multiple products approved in the U.S., across Europe and several other ROW countries. The Company is developing additional products to expand its pipeline of products to treat cardiac arrhythmias and has development projects for the treatment of cardiac ischemia (angina) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
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.
CryoCath Technologies Inc.CONTACT: For further information: visit our website at www.cryocath.com,or contact: Steve G. Arless, President & CEO, Phone: (514) 694-1212 ext.224, E-mail: sarless@cryocath.com; Mike Polonsky, Investor Relations,Phone: (416) 815-0700 ext. 231, Fax: (416) 815-0080, E-mail:mpolonsky@equicompgroup.com
