| December 27, 2005 |
Notification Regarding the Completion of Purchase of IR Medical Laboratory
Co., Ltd. |
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This is to notify that as of 20th December, 2005, following the completion
of purchase, IR Medical has been made a wholly owned subsidiary of Goodman. |
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IR Medical Laboratory was established in 1999 for the purpose of developing
catheter products for the fields of interventional neurology and radiology.
Until present, Goodman has focused primarily on the cardiovascular field,
yet, with expected market growth of both the interventional neurology and
radiology fields, Goodman has favorably proceeded with the purchase of
IR Medical Laboratory. With the completion of purchase, IR Medical
Laboratory has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Goodman.
Moving forward, this division will function as the Goodman groupfs research
and development center for interventional neurology and radiology-use devices. |
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(FYR) |
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Representative Development Product of IR Medical Laboratory (GoodCatch) |
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Neurovascular treatments are focused on stroke patients. Strokes
originate in two varieties: cerebral infarction, where blood vessels in
the brain become blocked and blood flow is disrupted, and cerebral hemorrhage,
when blood vessels in the brain rupture, resulting in internal bleeding.
An onset of these conditions results in damage to brain tissue. |
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Neurovascular treatment began in the domestic market approximately 20 years
ago and is comparatively a new treatment method. Many developments
have occurred within the past 10 years. Intravascular therapy offers
the following benefits when compared to surgical procedures that have been
the traditional focus of treatment, and it is predicted that it will become
even more prevalent with the aging population: |
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When compared with surgery the physical burden on the patient is considerably
less, and procedures able to be performed on the elderly and those with
concomitant disease. |
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General anesthesia is not necessary--usually only local anesthesia at the
location of femoral insertion required. |
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Unlike surgery a craniotomy is not required, so post procedure recovery
is much quicker and hospitalization much shorter. |
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Approval for the GoodCatch is currently classified as an intravascular
retrieval basket wire device, yet there is an expectation for the product
to be used as a distal protection device to reduce the risk of emboli traveling
into the neurovascular system, a condition that results in stroke, when
carotid angioplasty is performed for carotid stenosis. |
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The carotid arteries are directly connected to the blood vessels of the
brain. Hence, when angioplasty is conducted to expand a blood vessel that
has narrowed due to atherosclerosis and thrombotic material is dislodged
from the lesion and flows into the brain, the risk that a stroke could
be caused by said thrombotic material is considered to be high. |
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Due to this reason, angioplasty for carotid artery stenosis did not become
wide spread in use. Yet with the commercial availability beginning
in 2000 for a balloon as a protective device used to occlude the vessel
to prevent emboli from flowing into the neurovasculature, the number of
cases has seen an increase. |
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However, the balloon as a protection device has limitations in the number
of cases deemed appropriate for use due to the requirement for occluding
the blood flow during the procedure for an extended period of time. Therefore,
the medical field has sought filter-type devices that can collect embolic
material without requiring a cessation in blood flow. |
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The GoodCatch is a catheter that employs shape memory alloy weaved into
a basket shape to remove foreign bodies. Regulatory approval was attained
in August, 2004 and sales commenced thereafter. |
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Furthermore, protective device needs are not limited to the carotid arteries,
and a rapid increase in sales is expected with cooperative development
of the GoodCatch for expansion into the cardiovascular field. |
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With regard to these expectations, we will increase further cooperative
product improvement, and have already begun approval acquisition for an
implantable intravascular thrombus-removal filter. |
