Concentric Medical Announces First Stroke Patients Treated With the Merci Retriever® in Japan

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Concentric Medical, Inc., the global leader in devices for clot removal in acute ischemic stroke patients, today announced the treatment of the first patient in Japan with the Merci Retriever®.  The Merci Retriever is a catheter-based medical device that stroke centers use to remove blood clots from the brains of patients suffering an acute ischemic stroke.

Nobuyuki Sakai, M.D., D.M.Sc., Director, Neurosurgery & Stroke Center at Kobe City General Hospital said, "The Merci Retriever, which recently received Shonin approval in Japan, was used in its first case at Kobe City General Hospital.  We have been looking forward to the introduction of this device and we were very excited to have the first successful treatment of a cerebral artery occlusion in Japan.  I am confident that the neurosurgeons and neurologists at acute stroke centers will be using the Merci Retriever very shortly and enrolling patients in the post-market study.  The post-market study for the Merci Retriever will further validate the safety and efficacy in this new era of cerebral artery revascularization therapy."

Wade S. Smith, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurology & Director, University of California, San Francisco Neurovascular Service and principal investigator of both the Merci and Multi Merci clinical trials said, "I am very happy to hear that the first patient in Japan has benefited from mechanical thrombectomy with the Merci Retriever.  It is my expectation that Japanese endovascular neurosurgeons and neurologists will rapidly change the status of stroke care in Japan using this stroke therapy, much like what has happened in the United States."

On May 4th, Concentric Medical announced the Shonin approval of the Merci Retriever®, Merci® Microcatheter, and Merci® Balloon Guide Catheter.  Century Medical Inc. of Japan is Concentric Medical's exclusive distribution partner. The two companies worked together to obtain Shonin approval for the Merci Retriever, which is the first device for clot removal for ischemic stroke patients to be approved in Japan.

Maria Sainz, President and CEO of Concentric Medical said, "I am thrilled that the first patient has been successfully treated with the Merci Retriever in Japan.  This first patient in Japan is a significant milestone for all those involved in making the Merci Retriever available to acute ischemic stroke patients throughout the world.  We look forward to working closely with Japanese physicians and our distribution partner, Century Medical, to drive the successful adoption of Merci. The approval and clinical use of the Merci Retriever in Japan is another example of how we continue to build on our strong heritage in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke."

Akira Hoshino, President and CEO of Century Medical said, "The initial patient treated with the Merci Retriever in Japan is very rewarding for everyone involved in the advancement of interventional stroke care in Japan.  This initial case is an exciting example of how the Merci Retriever provides a unique treatment option for physicians and stroke patients in Japan.  Century Medical is strongly committed to working with physicians and hospitals throughout Japan to make the Merci Retriever widely available for Japanese stroke patients."

About Concentric Medical

Concentric Medical is located in Mountain View, California, and is the global leader in the development of endovascular devices for revascularizing stroke patients.  The company manufactures and markets solutions for ischemic stroke: minimally invasive devices that are delivered into the brain to restore blood flow by removing blood clots that cause ischemic stroke.  Concentric Medical's devices are available in over 500 leading stroke centers around the world, and have been the subject of several clinical studies.  For more information about Concentric Medical, please visit www.concentric-medical.com.

About Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the developed world and the leading cause of serious long-term disability. Ischemic stroke represents over 85% of strokes and occurs when a blockage or clot develops in one of the arteries supplying blood to the brain. In 2004 the FDA cleared Concentric Medical's Merci Retriever® for use in stroke patients who are ineligible for IV-tPA or who fail to respond to IV-tPA therapy. This pioneering device created a departure from the historic method of caring for stroke patients and offered physicians and patients a long-awaited option for stroke intervention.

For more information about Concentric Medical, please visit www.concentric-medical.com.

SOURCE Concentric Medical, Inc.