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annoucement just out Ventracor Limited 126 Greville Street Chatswood NSW 2067 Australia
T +61 2 9406 3100 F +61 2 9406 3101 W www.ventracor.com
ABN 46 003 180 372
'Artificial Heart' Pilot Trial 12 Month Update
Sydney 30 June 2004: Medical investigators today provided an update on Australia's
'artificial heart' trial at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne.
Chief medical investigators Professors Don Esmore and David Kaye, said this week marked
12 months since the first patient in the trial was implanted with the VentrAssist™ left
ventricular assist device (LVAS).
A total of six patients have been implanted with the VentrAssist™ to date. The most recent
recipient underwent surgery last week and is in a serious but stable condition. Three
recipients have reached 12 months, 10 months and six months since their implants, two other
patients have passed away.
Ventracor Chief Executive Officer, Colin Sutton PhD, said the company was very pleased to
note the anniversary of its ground breaking trial. “It is a significant milestone and one that
should not be underrated,” he said.
“All of us involved in the development of the VentrAssist™ sincerely thank all of the patients
who have volunteered to take part in this trial. They have contributed to a project with the
potential to improve the quality of life for thousands more people worldwide suffering from
congestive heart failure,” Dr Sutton said.
Dr Sutton added the first anniversary was a timely opportunity to formally thank the dedicated
doctors, highly skilled support staff at The Alfred hospital and Ventracor staff.”
Prof Esmore said the two deaths were not unexpected in patients who were so severely ill.
One of the recipients had died after bleeding between the lung and the heart, he said. "It was
nothing to do with the pump failing, it's just one of the things that can happen," Professor
Esmore told The Age newspaper this week.
Under the Pilot Trial protocol, patients eligible to be implanted with the VentrAssist™ are
gravely ill, are no longer responding to optimal medical therapy and have no other options
available to them. The results of the Pilot Trial will be based on outcomes from all patients.
While individual results are very important, it is the accumulation of all data on the safety of
the system that will decide the outcome of the Pilot Trial.
For more information, please contact:
Andrew Geddes Trisha Lee
Manager, Investor Relations Manager, Public Affairs
Ventracor Limited The Alfred hospital
02 9406 3086 03 9276 2354