News & Events

Uptake Medical announced today that it has completed patient enrolment in a phase I safety and feasibility clinical trial for the company's proprietary minimally invasive Bronchoscopic Thermal Vapor AblationT (BTVAT) treatment for patients suffering from heterogeneous emphysema with upper lobe predominance. The trial was conducted at two centers in Australia with world renowned thoracic physicians, Dr. Gregory Snell of The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria and Dr. Peter Hopkins of Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland from December 2007 to March 2008. "We are pleased with the early data on the use of vapor therapy which demonstrates an acceptable safety profile and encouraging potential for efficacy. BTVA holds the promise of a safe, simple and elective bronchoscopic approach to lung volume reduction for many patients suffering from emphysema who have limited treatment options," said Dr. Gregory Snell. "The early clinical results look very promising. The support and leadership of Dr. Snell and Dr. Hopkins have enabled Uptake Medical to conduct a very thorough Phase I Study in Australia and we look forward to building on this experience in the coming months throughout the world," noted King Nelson, President and CEO. Bronchoscopic Thermal Vapor Ablation (BTVA) is a minimally-invasive procedure that helps patients with emphysema breathe more easily. BTVA achieves lung volume reduction by delivering thermal vapor through a catheter which causes the diseased portion of the lung to reduce in volume. This non-surgical lung volume reduction allows the remaining healthy lung to expand more fully and function more normally. "This is a tremendous step forward for Uptake Medical and our BTVA therapy. We look forward to gaining more clinical experience with the technology and building compelling efficacy data," said Robert Barry, Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Based on these encouraging results, Uptake Medical is planning to conduct further clinical trials in Europe, Australia and the US.