This is great news!
Five-Year Survival Rates in EECP Therapy Patients Comparable to Surgical Revascularization
April 6, 2000 10:19 AM Eastern Time
WESTBURY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2000--Vasomedical, Inc. VASO announced today that long-term results of EECP(R) therapy are similar to results reported in contemporary surgical bypass and angioplasty trials, as shown in a study published in the April issue of Clinical Cardiology. The study, "Long-term prognosis of patients with angina treated with enhanced external counterpulsation: Five-year follow-up study," tracked the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events in the first 33 patients with coronary artery disease treated with EECP therapy at the State University of New York Health Sciences Center at Stony Brook. Follow-up averaged five years . Responders to EECP therapy, as indicated by improvement in stress perfusion imaging, comprised 79% of the group, with 21% not responding to the therapy. Subsequent major adverse cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, bypass surgery, angioplasty and death were significantly less frequent in the EECP therapy responder group than in the nonresponder group (p<0.01). The five-year survival rate of the 33 noninvasively treated EECP patients in the study was 88%, similar to rates reported in contemporary surgical bypass and angioplasty trials, despite the fact that many of the EECP therapy patients had already failed revascularization attempts.
Dr. William Lawson, lead investigator of the study and Clinical Professor of Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook commented, "What is remarkable about this study is the low incidence of adverse events over five-years in those patients responding to EECP therapy. This study enlarges on the promising results previously reported by the Mayo Clinic and MUST-EECP investigators and demonstrates both the clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness of EECP as long-term therapy."
Vasomedical, Inc. is primarily engaged in designing, manufacturing, marketing and supporting external counterpulsation systems based on the company's proprietary technology. EECP(R) is a registered trademark for Vasomedical's enhanced external counterpulsation system. This system is now in use at major medical centers, including the Mayo Clinic, the Ochsner Foundation Hospital and the Miami Heart Institute, as well as medical centers affiliated with Columbia University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California at San Diego, the University of California at San Francisco, SUNY at Stony Brook and the University of Virginia. The company provides hospitals, clinics and private practices EECP(R) equipment, treatment guidance and a staff training and maintenance program to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
Except for historical information contained in this release, the matters discussed are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. When used in this release, words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" and "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of the Company's management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company's management. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: the effect of business and economic conditions; the impact of competitive products and pricing; capacity and supply constraints or difficulties; product development, commercialization or technological difficulties; the regulatory and trade environment; and the risk factors reported from time to time in the Company's SEC reports. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise any forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments.
CONTACT: Vasomedical, Inc. D. Michael Deignan, President and CEO 516/997-4600 ext.155 Barry Zakar, Director of Marketing 516/997-4600 ext.131 eecp.com/news
|
