New Form Of Treatment For Heart Failure

Thursday, March 1, 2007

New Form Of Treatment For Heart Failure (NAPSA)—There’s encouraging news for the millions of Americans who at some point may be affected by life-threatening heart failure: A new type of cardiac support system is expected to significantly improve the treatment of the condition. Heart failure is a progressive condition that involves the heart reshaping, or “remodeling,” into a less effective blood pump. This occurs after the heart has been damaged by any disease or condition that puts extra stress on the heart’s muscle or deprives it of blood. High blood pressure, coronary artery disease and heart attacks are typical causes. According to the American Heart Association, 550,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed annually in the U.S., with direct and indirect costs estimated at $29 billion in 2006. Heart of the Matter The MYO-VAD”, developed by MYOTECH LLC and being commercialized by Biophan Technologies, Inc. (Biophan is the exclusive distributor of the MYO-VAD and is acquiring a majority interest in MYOTECH), is based on Direct Mechanical Ventricular Actuation technology. It consists of a flexible polymer “cup” that fits around the heart, coupled to a drive unit, which pumps the heart to restore blood flow. The MYO-VAD can be implanted on an arrested or weak heart in approximately three minutes, restoring cardiac output. This has the potential to save many thousands of lives when the standard of care fails to recover a patient’s circulation, which accounts for over half the cases of sudden cardiac arrests that occur in hospitals today. The MYO-VAD can also help patients who do survive a A new cardiac support system offers increased hope for people with heart failure. heart attack to recover. By not coming into direct contact with circulating blood, the MYO-VADpromises to provide substantial advantages over all other available cardiac support devices by eliminating potentially fatal problems, including clotting/stroke, bleeding andinfection. Investigators believe that rapid MYO-VAD intervention can limit damage to the heart and other organs, which typically occurs during a heart attack. By reducing myocardial stress, the device promises to stop the progression of events that often lead to longer-term heart failure. With anticipated lower rates of patient complications, lower device cost, and the potential of the product to be available at every hospital, the MYO-VADis expected to provide a significant reduction in the cost of treating heart failure patients, enabling physicians to improve the outcomes of patients experiencing heart failure and help save thousands of lives. To learn more about the device, visit www.biophan.com.

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