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GI Dynamics Announces Commercial Availability of EndoBarrier® Therapy in Israel for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and/or Obesity
LEXINGTON, Mass. & SYDNEY --(Business Wire)--
GI
Dynamics, Inc. (ASX: GID) today announced that The
Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer) at Ramat-Gan, Israel, is now
offering EndoBarrier®
Therapy, a non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical treatment for type 2
diabetes and/or obesity. The Center is the first in the country to treat
patients with this revolutionary medical device that helps reduce blood
sugar and body weight at the same.
"Our diabetes center is at the forefront of innovative advances in
managing type 2 diabetes and obesity, and we are pleased to offer
EndoBarrier Therapy to our patients," said Gabriella Lieberman, M.D.,
endocrinologist, head of obesity clinic, The Sheba Medical Center
Institute of Endocrinology. "Our first groups of patients responded well
to this brief, endoscopic procedure, and are achieving control of their
diabetes while losing weight. It seems like EndoBarrier Therapy will
become an integral part of our diabetes and obesity management program."
In addition, GI Dynamics announced it has entered into an agreement with Lavi
- Medical Agencies (Lavi) as the exclusive distributor for
EndoBarrier in Israel. EndoBarrier received medical device registration
approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health in February 2012 for the
treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity for up to 12 months. It is also
currently available in Australia, Chile and select countries in Europe.
"We are well known for our expertise in identifying high potential new
and innovative technologies and bringing them to the local market," said
Dani Shaham, CEO of Lavi. "EndoBarrier Therapy enables diabetes control
along with weight loss without the risks associated with bariatric
surgery. We are excited to add EndoBarrier Therapy to our portfolio of
innovative products and look forward to providing this novel treatment
to the Israeli healthcare community."
"Our first patient cases in Israel mark yet another milestone in the
global commercialization of EndoBarrier Theapy," said Mark C. Twyman,
chief commercial officer, GI Dynamics. "Sheba Center is a highly
accredited, national institution that is renowned for delivering
exceptional healthcare in Israel, and we are delighted to be working
with them. In the coming months, we will continue to cultivate and train
additional centers in Israel and work closely with our distributor to
provide EndoBarrier Therapy to the many patients living with
uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and obesity."
According to the Israel Diabetes Association, there are an estimated
600,000 people currently living with diabetes, and one-third of those
are undiagnosed.1 According to the World Health Organization,
overweight and obese people (BMI =25 kg/m2) have
been estimated to account for about 65-80 percent of all new cases of
type 2 diabetes.2
About EndoBarrier Therapy
EndoBarrier Therapy is a revolutionary, non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical
treatment proven to help people living with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes
and weight problems achieve rapid and dramatic reductions in blood sugar
levels, as well as substantial weight loss. EndoBarrier Therapy is a
convenient and discreet treatment for people whose diabetes medications
are no longer effective, who are at risk for serious health
complications and who want to avoid the progression to daily insulin
injections. An innovative, reversible medical device, EndoBarrier
Therapy also enables patients to avoid the lifestyle changes and
frequent post-surgical interventions associated with irreversible bypass
surgery and gastric banding. This first-of-its-kind therapy is helping
patients around the world fight their battle against type 2 diabetes and
obesity while providing a pathway to a healthier lifestyle. For more
information, please visit www.EndoBarrier.com.
About GI Dynamics
GI Dynamics, Inc. (ASX: GID) is the developer and marketer of
EndoBarrier®, a breakthrough device that represents an entirely new
class of non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical therapy for the treatment of
type 2 diabetes and/or obesity. EndoBarrier is approved and commercially
available in multiple countries outside the U.S.; and GI Dynamics is
conducting a pivotal clinical trial of EndoBarrier in
the U.S. for the treatment of patients who have uncontrolled type 2
diabetes and are obese. 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.
1 Israel Diabetes Association (http://www.sukeret.co.il/en/enInfo.asp info_id=26810)
2 Diabetes Facts & Figures. World Health Organization (http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/diabetes/facts-and-figures).
Accessed October 28, 2012.

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