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Biotech / Medical : Matria Healthcare (MATR) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GREATMOOD who wrote (108)	2/10/1998 2:12:00 PM
From: GREATMOOD	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 220

Matria's home healthcare reduces the number of days of hospitalization, brings the baby closer to full term, and saves lots of healthcare dollars. GM ************************************************************************************* Matria Healthcare, Inc. Comments On New Data Supportive Of Subcutaneous Terbutaline Infusion Therapy MARIETTA, Ga., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Matria Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: MATR), commented today on the results of a large clinical study concerning the use of continuous low-level infusion of terbutaline for the treatment of preterm labor. The study was presented by Fung Lam, M.D. at this year's Annual Meeting of the Society of Perinatal Obstetricians in Miami, Florida. Dr. Lam is an obstetrician associated with the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. To date, this is the largest study reporting on the clinical efficacy of terbutaline for tocolysis. Two hundred fifty-six singleton pregnancies with signs and symptoms of preterm labor were analyzed for pregnancy prolongation in this multi-site study. All patients were first treated with oral terbutaline and monitored for subsequent signs and symptoms of preterm labor. Those experiencing recurrent preterm labor were treated with continuous low- level infusion of terbutaline. All patients electronically monitored their uterine contractions at home and were contacted daily by phone by a specialized perinatal nurse. Twenty eight (28) percent of patients receiving oral therapy were hospitalized because of persistent symptoms of preterm labor. Pregnancies were prolonged an average of 2.7 weeks. When the same patients were treated with continuous low-level infusion of terbutaline, only 10% of patients were hospitalized and pregnancies were prolonged an average of 4.4 Weeks. This additional prolongation allowed the patients to remain at home and avoid costly hospitalizations and expensive inpatient treatments. Gary Stanziano, M.D., Vice President of Medical Affairs at Matria said, "Dr. Lam's study confirms the results of his earlier studies, as well as other studies published in scientific journals, on the use of subcutaneous terbutaline therapy for home management of patients experiencing preterm labor in their current pregnancies. In light of recent media attention surrounding the use of terbutaline for this purpose, the data presented by Dr. Lam's study should be important to physicians as well as the third party payers involved with the management of pregnancies complicated by preterm labor." Don Millard, President and CEO of Matria commented, "Each day the gestation of a high risk pregnancy is extended, the incidence of infant morbidity is less. The health care system saves thousands of dollars by reducing the amount of time a baby spends in the expensive NICU. Home subcutaneous therapy is often prescribed for women who are unable to be successfully treated with other tocolytics or using other routes of administration. It is also prescribed as an alternative to more expensive hospital management, saving the health care system additional dollars." Dr. Lam's study has been submitted to a national medical journal and is expected to be published later this year. Matria's obstetrical home care services were utilized to provide patient care in this study. Matria Healthcare is the nation's leading provider of comprehensive obstetrical home care and maternity management services to HMOs, indemnity carriers, and employers with services delivered from 36 regional centers and over 40 additional sites of service. This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including developments in the healthcare industry, third- party actions over which the Company does not have control, and regulatory requirements applicable to the Company's business, as well as other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. SOURCE Matria Healthcare, Inc. CO: Matria Healthcare, Inc. ST: Georgia IN: HEA MTC SU: 02/10/98 12:54 EST prnewswire.com