New England Journal of Medicine Publishes UCLA
Study Using Imatron's EBT Coronary Artery Scan On
Young Dialysis Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease
Friday May 19, 8:03 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
New Data Show the High Prevalence and Dramatic Progression of Coronary Artery Calcification in Young Adults
SO. SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--May 19, 2000-- Imatron Inc. (Nasdaq: IMAT - news) announced today that the
New England Journal of Medicine published an important paper in the May 18, 2000 issue by William Goodman, MD and
colleagues at the UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles.
The authors selected the Imatron Electron Beam Tomography (EBT) scanner to evaluate coronary artery calcification in patients undergoing dialysis, both male and female, who were less than 30 years old and had end stage renal disease. This is the first report on calcification measurement in such a group and one of very few in which patients of either sex under the age of 40 have received EBT studies and is thus important in the understanding of the earliest development of coronary atherosclerosis as well as the effects of kidney disorders in the young.
While there was no calcification detected in subjects less than 20 years of age, there was a remarkable 88% prevalence among those in their 20's, as compared with 15% in normal controls of the same age. As a group these young adults with end stage renal disease and undergoing dialysis treatments had approximately 6 times the likelihood of having coronary artery calcification than people in the general population. Furthermore, repeat EBT studies in a sample of the study subjects showed that almost all (90%) of those with initial calcification progressed, with their calcium scores doubling over an average interval of only 20 months. This rate of progression is three times that which would be expected in people without renal disease but with coronary atherosclerosis and inadequate treatment of their risk factors.
S. Lewis Meyer, Imatron's Chief Executive Officer, stated, ``This New England Journal of Medicine publication coming
immediately on the heels of another landmark study in young adults reported this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association clearly puts Imatron's electron beam tomography (EBT) technology squarely in the ''mainstream`` of American medicine. While the primary clinical application of Imatron's non-invasive EBT technology has been in ''at-risk`` individuals over the age of 40, these studies highlight new opportunities for researchers to safely study early stage heart disease in younger subjects. The important new insights these studies provide on the origins and development of coronary heart disease may open the door to new treatment protocols and techniques applicable to far larger segments of the American population.''
For additional information about Imatron, visit our web site at imatron.com.
Imatron, Inc. is primarily engaged in designing, manufacturing, marketing, and supporting high performance EBT scanners based on the Company's proprietary electron beam tomography (EBT) technology. Imatron's EBT scanner is now in use at more than 120 major medical facilities and imaging centers around the world, including the Mayo Clinic, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Abbott-Northwestern Hospital, Mount Sinai Medical Center, University of Iowa, National Institutes of Health, UCLA Medical Center, St. Francis Hospital, Stanford University, University of Illinois, Arizona Heart Institute, Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Essen, Landeskrankenhaus in Graz, Austria, Daniel den Hoed Klinik in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Cardiology Research Centre in Moscow, Russia, FAU Erlangen-Nurnberg in Erlangen, Germany, Zentralklinik Bad Berka in Bad Berka, Germany, Beijing Hospital in China, HeartScan Imaging, Cooper Clinic, HealthScan of La Jolla, LifeScore of San Diego and Vital Imaging Diagnostic Clinic.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release may contain forward-looking
statements that are based on current expectations and estimates about the industry in which Imatron operates, the estimated impact
of certain technological advances, the estimated impact of published research studies on scanner sales and procedures, as well as
management's beliefs and assumptions. It is important to note that the Company's actual results could differ materially from those
projected in such forward-looking statements. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others;
failed clinical demonstration of certain asserted technological advantages and diagnostic capabilities; reliance on product
distributors; competition in the diagnostic imaging market; failure to improve product reliability or introduce new product models
and enhancements; delays in production and difficulty in obtaining components and sub-assemblies from limited sources of supply;
inability to meet cash-on-delivery or prepayment terms from vendors; determinations by regulatory and administrative government
authorities; patent expiration and denial of patent applications; the high cost of the scanner as compared to commercially available
CT scanners; and the risk factors listed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission reports,
including their reports of Form 10-K for their current fiscal year.
Contact:
Imatron Inc.
S. Lewis Meyer, CEO, 650/583-9964
Robin Kelley, Investor Relations, 650/583-9964
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