NeoVista, Inc.
Ophthalmic Clinic in Pisa, Italy is First in Europe to Treat Neovascular AMD Patients with New Epimacular Brachytherapy System
Fremont, CA and Pisa, Italy- November 12, 2009- NeoVista, Inc. announced today that the first European patients have been treated following the commercialization of the VIDON® ANV® Therapy System, the company's novel device for treating neovascular AMD. Unlike the approved standard of care which requires frequent eye injections for an indefinite period of time, NeoVista's therapy delivers a one-time dose of beta radiation following a very commonly used surgical procedure called 'vitrectomy'. NeoVista's epimacular brachytherapy has been shown to be safe and effective in preliminary clinical trials and may offer a cost effective solution to the current treatment burden posed by continuous injections of anti-VEGF therapy.
The first VIDION patients were treated by Dr. Stanislao Rizzo, from the S. Chiara Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy, who said, "We are very excited to be the first hospital to perform this innovative one time treatment procedure, which can help to treat a devastating disease that otherwise requires chronic treatment for an indefinite period of time. NeoVista's targeted epimacular brachytherapy treatment may provide us the ability to improve vision by offering a distinct mechanism of action that affects multiple disease pathways unlike the conventional anti-VEGF therapy, and may dramatically change the patient’s quality of life by eliminating frequent eye injections. This promising treatment is a cost-effective alternative to treat neovascular AMD," continued Dr. Rizzo. "Monthly injections can become quite expensive for our health care system, whereas a single procedure will potentially allow our specialists to treat more patients and bring down the costs associated with ongoing treatments."
Unlike previous radiation therapies for wet AMD, NeoVista's innovative device delivers the peak dose of strontium-90 beta ionizing radiation directly to the lesion minimizing exposure to the surrounding tissue. The minimally invasive procedure utilizes a device similar in size to a needle, to deliver a highly targeted dose of radiation directly to the area of the retina affected by wet AMD. Importantly for patients, the systemic radiation exposure is minimal, as the effective dose to the entire body from NeoVista's epimacular brachytherapy device is less then a routine chest x-ray.
"This is a great day for NeoVista, and for those suffering from Wet AMD," stated John N. Hendrick, President and CEO of NeoVista. "We believe epimacular brachytherapy, utilizing our proprietary VIDION ANV Therapy System, will greatly benefit patients, physicians, caregivers, and health care systems world-wide. We are looking forward to bringing VIDION to millions of European patients with wet AMD who are seeking a more cost-efficient option that we expect will be as effective, if not better, than the current standard of care."
About Wet AMD
Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels behind the retina start to grow under the macula, where they leak blood and fluid, causing scar tissue to form and vision to become impaired. With wet AMD, vision loss may occur faster and be more noticeable than with dry AMD. The longer the abnormal vessels leak or grow, the more detail vision will be lost. The earlier wet AMD is diagnosed, the better the patients' chance of preserving some or much of their central vision.
About NeoVista, Inc.
NeoVista, Inc. is a privately held medical device company based in Fremont, California. NeoVista's epimacular brachytherapy procedure is currently being studied in a definitive Phase III clinical study to support eventual filing for regulatory approval to market the product in the United States. For more information about the company, the clinical trial or this novel wet AMD therapy, please visit the company's Web site at www.neovistainc.com.