Press Release:

TUCSON, Ariz. – Aug. 28, 2007 – Dr. Marvin Slepian, co-founder and chairman of SynCardia Systems, Inc., the manufacturer of the CardioWest™ temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t), presented at the 36th Annual Southwest Heart Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., on August 24 and 25.

Dr. Slepian, an interventional cardiologist, scientist and patent-holder in the field of cardiology, presented two lectures during the event: one on stents and the second on the artificial heart. During his TAH-t lecture, Dr. Slepian explained that the artificial heart pumps more blood than almost all human hearts.

“A TAH-t implant is like getting a donor heart from a Super Bowl MVP. Its superior pumping capability helps rejuvenate vital organs that are dying from low blood supply,” Dr. Slepian explained. “For transplant eligible patients dying from end-stage biventricular failure, the TAH-t provides a second chance at life as a bridge-to-transplant.” 

In the pivotal clinical study of the TAH-t published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM 2004; 351: 859-867), 79 percent of patients receiving the TAH-t survived to transplant, the highest survival rate for any device. The one-year survival rate for patients receiving the TAH-t was 70 percent versus 31 percent for control patients who did not receive the device.

The CardioWest TAH-t is the only FDA approved temporary artificial heart in the world. More than 650 patients have received a TAH-t, accounting for more than 100 patient years of life.

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About the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart
SynCardia Systems, Inc. (Tucson, AZ) is the privately-held manufacturer of the world's first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart. Originally used as a permanent replacement heart, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to transplant for people dying from end-stage biventricular heart failure. There have been more than 950 implants of the Total Artificial Heart, accounting for more than 230 patient years of life.

Similar to a heart transplant, SynCardia's Total Artificial Heart replaces both failing heart ventricles and the four heart valves, eliminating the symptoms and source of end-stage biventricular failure. Unlike a donor heart, the Total Artificial Heart is immediately available at SynCardia Certified Centers and does not require expensive anti-rejection medication, which can cause subsequent complications. It is the only device that provides immediate, safe blood flow of up to 9.5 liters per minute through both ventricles. This high volume of safe blood flow helps speed the recovery of vital organs, helping make the patient a better transplant candidate.

SynCardia Ranked #20 Among World's 50 Most Innovative Companies
In March 2011, Fast Company magazine ranked SynCardia #20 in its annual list of the "World's 50 Most Innovative Companies" for "giving mobility to artificial heart recipients." Weighing 13.5 pounds, SynCardia's Freedom® portable driver is the world's first wearable driver designed to power the Total Artificial Heart both inside and outside the hospital. The Freedom driver is CE approved for use in Europe and undergoing an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study in the U.S.

For additional information, please visit: http://www.syncardia.com
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Media Contact:
Don Isaacs
Vice President of Communications
SynCardia Systems, Inc.
Cell: (520) 955-0660