Ventus Medical Announces First International Market Launch for Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy

BELMONT, Calif., Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ventus Medical, a privately-held medical device company focused on products to treat sleep-disordered breathing, today announced that its proprietary Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy, an innovative, non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, is now available in Hong Kong.  The HomeCare Medical Ltd., with over 17 years of sleep medicine experience, will be the exclusive distributor of Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy in Hong Kong.

"Hong Kong is a compact and relatively affluent population, with almost 10 percent of the general population suffering from obstructive sleep apnea," said Peter Wyles, president and chief executive officer of Ventus Medical. "As we expand into international markets like Hong Kong, we will continue to target patients with obstructive sleep apnea through local partners who are well-regarded within their respective countries."

People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) stop breathing - in some cases hundreds of times each night - usually for periods of ten seconds or longer. Often people with sleep apnea don't know they have the condition, but do know that they snore and occasionally wake up gasping for air. It is often their sleep partner who is aware of these symptoms and will urge them to go to the doctor. Because OSA is known to be associated with high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, stroke, diabetes and impotence, it is important for patients to seek a diagnosis and establish an effective treatment regime.

Approximately nine percent of people living in Hong Kong are affected by obstructive sleep apnea. Unfortunately, OSA often goes undiagnosed and therefore untreated.  Of the patients that do receive treatment, most are prescribed a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.  While extremely effective at treating OSA if worn as directed, more than half of all patients stop treatment with CPAP due to its cumbersome nature.  Provent Therapy was developed to help patients who do not use CPAP therapy regularly.

About Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy

Provent Therapy is a prescription device indicated for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It is an easy to use, disposable treatment that works across mild, moderate, and severe OSA. Provent has been clinically proven in numerous studies to reduce sleep apnea and works through its proprietary MicroValve technology that uses nasal expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) to keep a patient's airway open during sleep. When going to sleep, a patient places the small Provent device over each nostril. The devices adhere to the skin through a hypoallergenic adhesive. When the patient breathes in through the nose, the valve opens allowing nearly unobstructed airflow. When exhaling, the valve closes, limiting airflow, increasing expiratory pressure to keep the airway open and prevent breathing disruptions. For more information, please visit www.proventtherapy.com.

About Ventus Medical

Ventus Medical is a privately-held medical device company dedicated to providing non-invasive medical solutions for people with sleep-disordered breathing. Based on its innovative MicroValve technology and patented designs, Ventus has developed a unique line of clinically-proven medical devices to address the continuum of sleep disorders from severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to mild snoring. Ventus Medical devices work by creating expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) to effectively treat the underlying conditions. The company markets prescription-only Provent Therapy, a discreet, easy-to-use nasal device, for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the United States and Hong Kong, and is developing an over-the-counter device for snoring.

SOURCE Ventus Medical