Olympus Partners with COPD Foundation to Serve Emphysema Patient Community

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympus announced today that it has signed a partnership agreement with the COPD Foundation to support patient education about different treatment options for severe emphysema, a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

"The COPD Foundation works tirelessly to speed innovations that make treatment more effective and affordable," said Lynn Ray, Global General Manager and VP, Respiratory for Olympus. "For individuals struggling with breathlessness, education about treatment options like endobronchial valves couldn't be more important."

Treatment options to improve the lives of people living with COPD and other lung conditions include endobronchial valve procedures, during which endobronchial valves are placed into selected airways of emphysematous lungs to redirect air away from diseased parts of the lung. This treatment has been shown to allow patients with severe emphysema to breathe more easily and experience improvement in their quality of life.ⁱ

Olympus will support the COPD Foundation in its development of informative content that communicates to people with severe emphysema how endobronchial valves work and why they may be a treatment option for them. "We are pleased to have the support of Olympus," said Kristen Willard, VP, Public and Professional Education, COPD Foundation. "The COPD Foundation is dedicated to expanding services to people with COPD. The more effective education we can bring to individuals with severe emphysema, the better."

For information about Olympus endobronchial valves, visit these dedicated websites:

• For doctors: https://svs.olympusamerica.com/prescriptive-information 
  
  
• For patients and their families: https://svs.olympusamerica.com/patients-and-family

About the COPD Foundation
The COPD Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization created in 2004, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Miami, FL. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable disease. The COPD Foundation was established to speed innovations which will make treatment more effective and affordable, to undertake initiatives that result in expanded services for COPD patients, and improve the lives of patients with COPD and related disorders (through scientific research, education & awareness) that will lead to prevention and a stop in the progression of COPD.
For information: www.copdfoundation.org.

About Olympus
Olympus is passionate about the solutions it creates for the medical, life sciences, and industrial equipment industries.

Olympus' Medical business uses innovative capabilities in medical technology, therapeutic intervention, and precision manufacturing to help healthcare professionals deliver diagnostic, therapeutic, and minimally invasive procedures to improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs, and enhance the quality of life for patients. Olympus' Medical portfolio includes endoscopes, laparoscopes, and video imaging systems, as well as surgical energy devices, system integration solutions, medical services, and a wide range of endotherapy instruments. For more information, visit www.medical.olympusamerica.com.

ⁱ Criner GJ, Delage A, Voelker K, et al. Improving Lung Function in Severe Heterogenous Emphysema with the Spiration Valve System (EMPROVE): A Multicenter, Open-Label, Randomized, Controlled Trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2019;200(11):1354-1362. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201902-0383OC.

SOURCE Olympus Medical Systems Group