PLC Systems' RenalGuard to be utilized in a live case transmission at the GISE 2009 conference

Oct 19 2009

PLC Systems Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PLCSF), a company focused on innovative cardiac and vascular medical device-based technologies, today announced that its RenalGuard System(TM) will be utilized as part of a live case transmission from the Clinica Mediterranea, Naples, Italy, to the 30th Congresso Nazionale della Societa' Italiana di Cardiologia Invasiva (GISE) during the conference. The conference takes place October 20-23, 2009 in Bologna, Italy. Artech s.r.l., the exclusive distributor for RenalGuard in Italy, will also demonstrate RenalGuard as part of its exhibit at the conference.

Dr. Carlo Briguori, Chief of the Laboratory of Interventional Cardiology, Clinica Mediterranea, a noted expert on CIN, is currently conducting an investigator-sponsored multi-center randomized clinical trial on the efficacy of RenalGuard® at his hospital. He plans to make a presentation on the status of his study at GISE, and will include a video demonstrating the use of RenalGuard during his talk.

This live case transmission marks the second time RenalGuard has been utilized as part of a live case transmission during a cardiac procedure during a cardiology conference. In May 2009, RenalGuard was included as part of a live case transmission from Hospital Clinico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain, during the meeting of EuroPCR. The interventional cardiologists involved in that case demonstrated how RenalGuard is used to help prevent Contrast-Induced Nephropathy (CIN) in a patient with impaired renal function undergoing a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).

Mark R. Tauscher, president and chief executive officer of PLC Systems, said, "We are very pleased that Dr. Briguori will be demonstrating a live case at GISE illustrating how RenalGuard works and how it may benefit patients. CIN is a significant and growing concern worldwide, and we are very encouraged by the prospect that RenalGuard could prevent it, especially in light of the recently-announced preliminary results of the other investigator-sponsored clinical trial that is ongoing in Italy. We look forward to the completion of all of these studies, in hopes that continued positive results will help galvanize more adoption of RenalGuard in the continuing battle against CIN and its adverse consequences."

Preliminary data from the first investigator-sponsored randomized clinical trial of RenalGuard, known as MYTHOS, has been presented at two international cardiology conferences, and indicates that patients at high risk for renal failure, when treated with RenalGuard while undergoing certain imaging procedures, acquired CIN at a significantly lower rate than those who were treated with overnight hydration. Acquiring CIN has been found to lead to a range of serious and potentially deadly outcomes in patients who already have compromised kidney function. More information about the trial is available at the company's website: http://www.plcmed.com/Products-Clinical-Investigations2.asp.