• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

EDAP Signs Exclusive Distribution Alliance With China Medical to Launch Their HIFU Devices in European Union and Russia

Posted on: Monday, 30 April 2007, 09:00 CDT

LYON, France, April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- EDAP TMS S.A. , the global leader in High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment of prostate cancer and China Medical Technologies, Inc. , a leading China-based medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced in-vitro diagnostic systems and HIFU products, today announced an exclusive agreement in which EDAP will distribute China Medical's HIFU tumor therapy systems in the European Union (EU) and Russia.

The distribution agreement provides EDAP exclusive distribution rights in the EU and Russia for an initial period of four years following receipt of EU approval and CE marking for China Medical's FEPBY series of HIFU systems, with renewal periods following the initial term. China Medical will seek approval for its HIFU devices from the appropriate regulatory bodies with close support from EDAP.

"This is a historic and strategic alliance for HIFU," said Marc Oczachowski, CEO of EDAP. "Together, our companies represent a dominant force in HIFU applications, and we believe our distribution alliance will accelerate worldwide acceptance of this important technology. EDAP's Ablatherm-HIFU system has set a new standard in prostate cancer care. China Medical is the largest provider of extracorporeal HIFU devices in China for the treatment of solid tumors. Together we will be able to educate the global medical community about the benefits of HIFU more rapidly and make it a major therapeutic tool for the treatment of a broad range of solid tumor diseases. We look forward to developing further collaborative relationship with China Medical."

"Based on EDAP's history of success in bringing new and innovative technologies to market in Europe and Russia, we expect the agreement between China Medical and EDAP to not only accelerate the development and understanding of HIFU therapy for the treatment of cancer, but also help facilitate the European regulatory approval process for our HIFU systems," said Xiaodong Wu, Chairman and CEO of China Medical. "China Medical and EDAP share a commitment of developing innovative and advanced medical devices and we both seek to broaden our global leadership and market reach in key regions. EDAP already has the strongest HIFU sales network in Europe and we think that pairing our two HIFU companies from the East and the West will help advance our marketing efforts and potentially provide opportunities for future collaboration."

About China Medical Technologies

China Medical Technologies is a leading China-based medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets advanced in-vitro diagnostics products using Enhanced Chemiluminescence (ECLIA) technology and Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH) technology, to detect and monitor various diseases and disorders, and products using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of solid cancers and benign tumors. For more information, please visit http://www.chinameditech.com/.

About EDAP TMS S.A.

EDAP TMS S.A. develops and markets Ablatherm, the most advanced and clinically proven choice for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment of localized prostate cancer. HIFU treatment is shown to be a minimally invasive and effective treatment option with a low occurrence of side effects. Ablatherm-HIFU is generally recommended for patients with localized prostate cancer (stages T1-T2) who are not candidates for surgery or who prefer an alternative option, or for patients who failed radiotherapy treatment. The company is also developing this technology for the potential treatment of certain other types of tumors. EDAP TMS S.A. also produces and commercializes medical equipment for treatment of urinary tract stones using Extra-corporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL).

For more information on the Company, contact Magnolia Investor Relations at (972) 801-4900, the Corporate Investor Relations Dept at +33 (0)4 78 26 40 46 or see the Company's web sites at http://www.edap-tms.com/ and http://www.hifu-planet.com/.

To sign up for alerts please visit: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1053&to=ea&s=0

In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These include statements regarding the Company's growth and expansion plans. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ablatherm- HIFU treatment is in clinical trials but not yet FDA approved or marketed in the United States.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities of EDAP TMS S.A. in the United States or any other jurisdiction.

CONTACT: For EDAP TMS S.A. Blandine Confort +33 4 78 26 40 46 blandine.confort@edap-tms.com or Matt Kreps Magnolia Investor Relations +1 972 801 4900 matt@magnoliair.com For China Medical Technologies, Inc. Winnie Fan, +86 10 6530 8833 IR@chinameditech.com or Christensen United States: Christopher Gustafson, +1 212 618 1978 cgus@ChristensenIR.com or Hong Kong: Tip Fleming, +852 2117 0861 tfleming@ChristensenIR.com

EDAP TMS S.A.

CONTACT: Blandine Confort, +33-4-78-26-40-46, blandine.confort@edap-tms.com; or Matt Kreps of Magnolia Investor Relations, +1-972-801-4900,matt@magnoliair.com, both for EDAP TMS S.A.; or Winnie Fan, +86-10-6530-8833,IR@chinameditech.com; or United States: Christopher Gustafson, +1-212-618-1978, cgus@ChristensenIR.com, or Hong Kong: Tip Fleming, +852-2117-0861,tfleming@ChristensenIR.com, both of Christensen, all for China MedicalTechnologies, Inc.

Web site: http://www.edap-tms.com/http://www.chinameditech.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

More News in this Category