Berlin Heart EXCOR® Pediatric Finalist for the 2012 Prix Galien Award

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Aug. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Berlin Heart announced today that the EXCOR® Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) has been chosen by Prix Galien USA as a finalist for the 2012 Prix Galien Award; Category: Best Medical Technology Product. The Prix Galien Awards were created to honor medical research and pharmacology for outstanding efforts to improve the human condition through approval of innovative treatments and medicines.

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Robert Kroslowitz, President and CEO of Berlin Heart's North American operations commented, "Berlin Heart is honored to have been chosen as a finalist for this most prestigious award. We see this recognition as a clear indicator of the importance of our work and the potential that our innovative products have to make a life-saving difference for pediatric patients with severe heart failure."

The Prix Galien Award recognizes the technical, scientific and clinical research skills and achievements necessary to develop innovative medicines and devices, and is considered the biomedical industry's highest accolade. The candidates are selected by a preeminent scientific and learned committee that included several Nobel Laureates.

The Berlin Heart EXCOR® Pediatric VAD is a mechanical cardiac support system for critically ill pediatric patients suffering from severe heart failure. The system is designed to support pediatric patients of all age groups, from newborns to teenagers, and is intended to bridge patients awaiting heart transplantation from days to many months, until a donor heart becomes available. The FDA granted "Humanitarian Device Exemption" (HDE) approval of Berlin Heart's EXCOR® Pediatric VAD in December 2011. The device is also approved for use in Europe and Canada.

About Berlin Heart Group
Berlin Heart GmbH is the only company worldwide that develops, produces, and distributes implantable and external ventricular assist devices (VADs) for patients of every age and body size. The company offers pumps, cannulas, and external components for internal and external use to stabilize cardiac activity in acutely ill patients. Its products are market leaders in their respective segments in Germany and in Europe. Berlin Heart Inc., the company's US subsidiary, was founded in 2005 to support the North American medical centers. Further product information is available from the company website: www.berlinheart.com.

Contact:
Berlin Heart Inc.
Jennifer Braughton
200 Valleywood, Suite A500
The Woodlands, TX 77380
[email protected]
Phone: 281-863-9700
Fax: 281-863-9701

SOURCE Berlin Heart