LYON, France, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- EDAP TMS S.A. , the world leader in High Intensity Focused Ultrasound treatment of localized prostate cancer, is pleased to report continued and successful growth of its presence in the German market.
On September 21-24 EDAP participated in the DGU congress held in Dusseldorf. The EDAP booth was strongly attended and numerous contacts were established with interested physicians. Judith Johannsen, General Manager of EDAP in Germany, commented: “This event was a great success for EDAP confirming Ablatherm-HIFU as an established therapy for localized prostate cancer in Germany. Three to four additional contracts to provide Ablatherm treatments on a mobile basis will be finalized very soon; training sessions are already scheduled.”
EDAP continues to address growing interest in Ablatherm-HIFU in Germany where more than 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. The growing base of opinion leader support and more than 2,500 German Ablatherm- HIFU treatments since 1996 continue to develop new interest among the medical community. The pace of treatments is increasing due to expansion in the number of centers offering treatment. At the end of August, Germany accounted for 3 fixed and 18 mobile Ablatherm-HIFU sites, up from seven mobile sites at the start of the year. Additionally, the first Austrian site, Lainz Hospital in Vienna, with Pr. Heinz Plfueger, opened in September. The company plans to continue growth of sites in German speaking countries based on the existing body of successful treatments.
Prof. Funke from Jung-Stilling Hospital in Siegen, who successfully began using Ablatherm-HIFU in September on a mobile basis commented: “I first learned about HIFU in literature and presentations. I attended a treatment session in Munich and was impressed by the procedure and results obtained by Pr. Chaussy & Dr. Thuroff. I decided to offer this alternative therapy to my patients who cannot undergo surgery. Ablatherm-HIFU treatment shows very low side effects and the procedure is easy and brief.”
Judith Johannsen stated: “With an additional mobile device made available earlier this summer, we now can meet the expanding demand for mobile treatment and offer the Ablatherm-HIFU technology to a wider number of patients. We clearly see strong interest in this type of minimally invasive therapy from physicians and patients. Our mobile model allows physicians to try the technique without an initial investment, then offers them the possibility to acquire the device when treatments exceed 50 to 60 per year. We receive regular calls from patients inquiring about centers where the therapy is available. We also receive feedback, often via patient advocacy groups, about the success of patient treatments and how pleased they feel with the preservation of their quality of life as compared to other testimonies of patients treated with more invasive techniques.”
As part of its continued expansion and strengthening of its clinical leadership in the German market, EDAP in September initiated an additional multi-center Ablatherm-HIFU study with planned follow-up of five years. This study involves highly renowned university hospitals such as the Urologische Klinik der Charite in Berlin, the Uniklinikum in Aachen, in Dresden and in Halle, the Krankenhause Nordwest in Frankfurt/Main and St Theresien Krankenhause in Nuremberg. Prof. K. Miller from the Urologische Klinik der Charite, Campus Benjamin Franklin, will lead the study. The objective of the study is to evaluate and confirm the low side effects associated with the treatment. This study will include the assessment of clinical parameters such as PSA, but will also consider individual and personal evaluations pre- and post-treatment using international standard questionnaires to outline the preservation of patient quality of life when using Ablatherm-HIFU minimally invasive therapy.
Judith Johannsen added: “We are very excited about the launch of this new study. The large university centers involved in this study lend significant credibility to Ablatherm-HIFU’s position as the leading technology offering an alternative to patients with prostate cancer and who cannot have surgery or who failed radiotherapy. This study adds to our efforts in educating patients and physicians and informing them about the availability of Ablatherm-HIFU technology in Germany. We recently also opened a third training center in Germany, at St Antonio Hospital, Gronau, with Dr. Witt acting as the training physician on the use of Ablatherm-HIFU. We are very thankful to the physicians who have supported EDAP to date in successfully building our clinical credibility in Germany.”
EDAP CEO Hugues de Bantel commented: “We are very pleased to see continued growth in our Ablatherm-HIFU business in Germany, the third largest market in the world for medical devices and the largest in Europe, where we have enjoyed a very good response to date. The support of key opinion leaders is delivering strong interest from the urology community. We will further develop this interest through continued studies and increased marketing programs addressing this key audience. We expect to fully utilize the second mobile unit we have recently placed with physicians to treat an ever growing number of patients each month. We also anticipate some mobile Ablatherm-HIFU users will decide to acquire a fixed unit as their treatment numbers grow.”
About EDAP TMS S.A.
EDAP TMS S.A. develops and markets Ablatherm, the most advanced and clinically proven choice for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment of localized prostate cancer. HIFU treatment is shown to be a minimally invasive and effective treatment option with a low occurrence of side effects. The company is also developing this technology for the treatment of certain other types of tumors. EDAP TMS S.A. also produces and commercializes medical equipment for treatment of urinary tract stones using Extra-corporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL).
For more information on the Company, contact the Investor Relations Dept by phone at +33 (0)4 78 26 40 46 or see the Company’s Web site at: http://www.edap-tms.com .
This press release contains, in addition to historical information, forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These include statements regarding the Company’s growth and expansion plans. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: EDAP TMS S.A. Hugues de Bantel - Philippe Chauveau Blandine Confort +33 4 78 26 40 46 Halliburton Investor Relations Matt Kreps - Geralyn DeBusk 972 458 8000
EDAP TMS S.A.
CONTACT: Hugues de Bantel, Philippe Chauveau or Blandine Confort, all ofEDAP TMS S.A., +33-4-78-26-40-46; or Matt Kreps or Geralyn DeBusk, both ofHalliburton Investor Relations, +1-972-458-8000, for EDAP TMS S.A.
Web site: http://www.edap-tms.com/