Designation follows more than 12 months of product experience and notable patient outcomes
LEXINGTON, Mass. & SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GI Dynamics Inc. (ASX: GID) announced that it has designated the National Obesity Surgery Centre (NOSC) in Manchester, England as its newest Center of Excellence. This designation recognizes the success of the NOSC, which has been treating patients with the EndoBarrier since late 2010 in a post-market clinical study and later in commercial use.
“We’ve seen remarkable improvements in type 2 diabetes, weight loss and overall health in our commercial patients treated with the EndoBarrier,” said Prof. Nadey Hakim, general bariatric and transplant surgeon, National Obesity Surgery Centre, Manchester, England. “In contrast to other therapies, the EndoBarrier achieves these benefits without major surgery, which is a very important factor to many patients. We are pleased to be able to offer this breakthrough treatment more broadly.”
“The NOSC is one of the leading centers for weight loss and diabetes treatment in the U.K., and what we have seen with them is an excellent example of our commercialization strategy in action,” said Stuart A. Randle, president and chief executive officer, GI Dynamics. “With their experience in our post-market study and expanding commercial use of the EndoBarrier, we are delighted to designate the NOSC as a Center of Excellence. They have a knowledgeable team of skilled multidisciplinary experts and many patients who have been implanted with the EndoBarrier for 12 months with excellent results.”
The EndoBarrier is a thin, flexible, tube-shaped liner that forms a physical barrier between food and a portion of the wall of the intestine. It has been clinically proven to lower HbA1c levels, achieve weight loss of more than 20 percent and improve other important metabolic functions including cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides. Once implanted, the EndoBarrier affects certain gastrointestinal hormones involved in insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism and satiety, and these changes allow for rapid and sustained improvement of type 2 diabetes.
“For many years I have struggled to control my diabetes and weight, which had really started to take a toll on my quality of life and my overall well-being,” said Jenny Clarke, EndoBarrier patient treated at the NOSC. “I chose the EndoBarrier because I wanted to regain a good quality of life and I’m glad that I made this choice. Since having the EndoBarrier placed eight weeks ago, I've lost 30 pounds, my diabetes has improved and I’ve been able to reduce use of my diabetes medicines; but more importantly, I am active again. I’m now able to go for long walks, something I hadn’t been able to do for quite some time.”
Estimates indicate that type 2 diabetes affects more than 2 million people in the U.K., and approximately 320 million people worldwide. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for approximately 90 percent of all cases of diabetes, occurs when the pancreas has reduced effectiveness in insulin production associated with an increase in insulin resistance. The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes usually occurs after the age of 40 and is often, but not always, associated with obesity.
“The EndoBarrier is an effective device that has positive impacts on patients with type 2 diabetes,” said Ajith M. George, M.D., MBBS, MRCP, consultant in diabetes and endocrinology working with the National Obesity Surgery Centre. “The EndoBarrier has not only demonstrated improvements in blood sugar control and weight loss, but also in other key metabolic functions including insulin resistance, cholesterol levels, LDL and triglycerides. These are important benefits for people living with type 2 diabetes since all of these factors can contribute to the severity of the disease over time.”
For more information on the NOSC, please visit www.obesitysurgerycentre.com. If you are interested in learning more about the EndoBarrier and designated Centers of Excellence, please visit www.endobarrier.com.
About GI Dynamics
GI Dynamics, Inc. (ASX: GID) is pioneering the development and commercialization of effective, non-surgical treatments targeting the large and growing global patient populations with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The company’s flagship product, the EndoBarrier®, is a novel, non-surgical device proven to lower blood glucose levels and promote weight loss in diabetic patients and/or obese patients during the implant period. GI Dynamics currently markets the EndoBarrier in select regions in Europe and South America and is planning near-term commercial expansion into Australia and additional European countries. Founded in 2003, GI Dynamics is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.gidynamics.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains or may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management’s beliefs, assumptions and expectations and on information currently available to management. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future are forward-looking statements, including without limitation our expectations with respect to our ability to commercialize our EndoBarrier® including our estimates of potential revenues, costs, profitability and financial performance; our ability to develop and commercialize new products including our ability to obtain reimbursement for our products; our expectations with respect to our clinical trials, including enrollment in or completion of our clinical trials and our associated regulatory submissions and approvals; our expectations with respect to the integrity or capabilities of our intellectual property position. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they speak only as of the date when made. GI Dynamics does not assume any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. GI Dynamics may not actually achieve the plans, projections or expectations disclosed in forward-looking statements, and actual results, developments or events could differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, described in “Risk Factors” in our Prospectus lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission on 3 August 2011.
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