Early Esophageal Cancer and Pre-Cancer Eliminated With Non-Surgical Treatment Combination

Early Esophageal Cancer and Pre-Cancer Eliminated With Non-Surgical Treatment
Combination
Endoscopic ablative therapy with HALO device leads to 100% patient response
rate

SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- BARRX Medical, Inc., a global
technology leader in treating Barrett's esophagus, today announced the
publication of two related European trials which report a 100% eradication
rate for early esophageal cancer and pre-cancerous dysplasia using endoscopic
resection followed by ablation therapy with the HALO ablation system.
Barrett's esophagus is a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease
(GERD) and is a known risk factor for esophageal cancer, the fastest growing
cancer in the Western world.
Results of the two studies were published in the May issue of Endoscopy, a
medical journal for gastroenterologists performing advanced endoscopic
procedures. They were titled "Effective treatment of early Barrett's neoplasia
with stepwise circumferential and focal ablation using the HALO system," and
"Stepwise circumferential and focal ablation of Barrett's esophagus with high-
grade dysplasia: results of the first prospective series of 11 patients." The
investigators enrolled patients with Barrett's esophagus having early cancer
and/or advanced dysplasia, used endoscopic resection to remove focal abnormal
areas, then used endoscopic ablative therapy with the HALO system to eradicate
all remaining diseased tissue. At one and two year follow-up, respectively, in
each trial, all patients were cured of their esophageal disease.
"This data confirms that early cancer and advanced dysplasia can be safely
and effectively treated with this non-surgical approach using endoscopic
resection and ablation," said Amsterdam Medical Centre (AMC)
gastroenterologist and Professor of Medicine Jacques Bergman, M.D., who led
the study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. "We're confident this treatment can
reduce the need for high risk surgical procedures and become the preferred
strategy for treating patients with Barrett's esophagus and early esophageal
cancer."
A related study presented last year in May 2007 at an international
gastroenterology meeting reported that ablative therapy, as used in this
trial, eradicated all the associated genetic abnormalities of the early cancer
and dysplasia in treated patients.
A current standard of treatment for advanced dysplasia and early cancer of
the esophagus is surgical removal of the esophagus (i.e. esophagectomy.) This
surgical procedure is often associated with significant patient morbidity and
even mortality. Once cancer occurs, the five year survival is poor. According
to the American Cancer Society, 16,470 new diagnoses and 14,280 deaths due to
esophageal cancer will occur this year in the U.S.
About BARRX Medical, Inc.
BARRX Medical, Inc. develops treatment solutions for Barrett's esophagus,
a precancerous condition of the lining of the esophagus (swallowing tube)
caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Its flagship product, the
HALO360 System, provides uniform and controlled therapy at a consistent depth,
which can remove Barrett's esophagus and allow the re-growth of normal cells.
In the largest study conducted (AIM-II Trial), 98 percent of patients were
Barrett's-free after two and a half years. The system used in the clinical
trials was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2001 and has
been commercially available since January 2005. Over 14,000 procedures have
been performed in over 200 hospitals around the world. Based in Sunnyvale,
Calif., BARRX Medical, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is privately-held.
Additional information about BARRX Medical, Inc. and the HALO ablation system
of products is available at http://www.barrx.com.
About Endoscopy
Endoscopy, the official publication for the European Society of
Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE), publishes original, peer-reviewed articles
on endoscopic procedures used in the study, diagnosis, and treatment of
digestive diseases. Over the past decades, it has become one of the world's
leading journals in GI endoscopy. Founded by Professor Ludwig Demling in 1961,
Endoscopy has grown in prestige and quality. This development has been
enhanced by the close ties which have been established with individual
national endoscopic societies.
To date, twenty societies are affiliated to Endoscopy.
SOURCE BARRX Medical, Inc.

Kevin Knight for BARRX Medical, Inc., +1-972-385-9384, Mobile,
+1-214-732-9392, kmcinc@aol.com; or Scott Dodson of BARRX Medical, Inc.
+1-408-328-7367, sdodson@barrx.com