NxStage Patient Advocate Jim Smith Begins West Coast "Home Hemodialysis" Tour with the Portable System One

LAWRENCE, Mass., Aug. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NxStage® Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq:NXTM), a leading manufacturer of innovative dialysis products, today announced that NxStage patient advocate Jim Smith, 63, of Indianola, WA, is beginning a 7-city west coast  "home hemodialysis" tour to educate the kidney community and build awareness of the therapy option.  Smith will travel with his portable home hemodialysis machine, the NxStage System One™,  in his motor home, making scheduled stops along the way at dialysis centers to speak with other patients about the benefits of more frequent  home hemodialysis and how it has positively impacted his life.

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"NxStage's mission is to improve the lives of patients with kidney failure by providing them access to the health and quality of life benefits associated with more frequent home hemodialysis therapy and the freedom to dialyze when and where they want," said Jeffrey H. Burbank, Chief Executive Officer of NxStage Medical. "We are thrilled to support Jim in sharing his story with dialysis patients, care partners and clinicians to raise awareness of the benefits of more frequent hemodialysis."

Mr. Smith's west coast road trip begins today.  During the tour, he will visit dialysis centers in Redding, San Francisco and Oakland, CA; Reno, NV and Seattle, WA., performing daily treatments in his motor home with his trained care partner and meeting with kidney patients to help educate them about the benefits of daily home hemodialysis therapy.

Type II diabetes and high blood pressure caused Smith's kidneys to fail in 2007, at which time he began receiving conventional dialysis in a medical center three times each week for three to four hours each session. Dissatisfied with the rigid treatment schedule, which impeded his work, travel and overall lifestyle, Smith researched other dialysis therapy options and learned about the System One. He and his trained care partner and wife, Claire, completed training to perform dialysis at home with the System One in July 2007.

"I am passionate about encouraging dialysis patients to be their own strongest advocate when finding a therapy option that is best suited to their needs and lifestyle," said Smith. "I understand the challenges of life on dialysis firsthand, and look forward to meeting with other patients to share my experiences with the health and lifestyle benefits of daily home hemodialysis with the System One, and to raise awareness and access to this life-changing therapy."

About the size of a 13-inch tube television, the NxStage System One is the first and only truly portable hemodialysis system cleared for home use by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Its simplicity and compact size are intended to allow easy use in patients' homes and give patients the opportunity to travel with their therapy. It plugs into standard electrical outlets and, unlike conventional hemodialysis systems, requires no special infrastructure to operate. Under the guidance of their physician, patients can use the NxStage System One, with their trained partners, where, how and when it best meets their needs, at home or on vacation.

To view a video of Smith speaking with NxStage CEO Jeff Burbank about his experiences with home hemodialysis and his upcoming tour, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx1bPUZdopI

Smith receives a modest stipend from NxStage for each dialysis center stop plus travel expenses directly related those stops.

About NxStage Medical

NxStage Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq:NXTM) is a medical device company, headquartered in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA, that develops, manufactures and markets innovative systems for the treatment of end-stage renal disease, or ESRD, and acute kidney failure. NxStage is leading the development of the home hemodialysis market in the US with the only portable hemodialysis machine, the System One, cleared for home use by the FDA. For more information on NxStage and its products, please visit the company's website at http://www.nxstage.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this release that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking, and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond NxStage's control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance or achievements including market acceptance and demand for NxStage's System One, growth in home hemodialysis, and certain other factors that may affect future operating results and which are detailed in NxStage's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Quarterly Report on Form 10Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011.

In addition, the statements in this press release represent NxStage's expectations and beliefs as of the date of this press release. NxStage anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause these expectations and beliefs to change. However, while NxStage may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing NxStage's expectations or beliefs as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Contact:  Kristen Sheppard, 1-978-332-5923, [email protected]

SOURCE NxStage Medical, Inc.