Implantica Announces Another Major European Center of Excellence in Italy starting with the RefluxStop™ procedure

 VADUZ, Liechtenstein, April 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Implantica AG (publ), a medtech company at the forefront of bringing advanced technology into the body, today announces that the first RefluxStop™ procedures to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been performed in one of the top anti-reflux centers in Europe - IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi - Sant'Ambrogio in Milan, Italy.

The two RefluxStop™ procedures were successfully performed by Professor Davide Bona, Director of the General Surgery Operative Unit at I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio in Milan, Italy and Associate Professor of General Surgery, University of Milan, joined by Professor Luigi Bonavina, Head of University General Surgery Unit and Esophagus Center at Policlinico San Donato in Milan, Italy and Full Professor of General Surgery, University of Milan.

Professor Luigi Bonavina, President of the European Foregut Society (EFS) and of the Italian Association of ESophageal Research (AIRES), who attended and observed the procedures performed said, "In Italy about 20% of the population suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease and very few of these patients are aware that there are surgical treatments available to treat reflux. Most are placed and kept on long-term medication use although only a small percentage report satisfactory symptom relief. The use of medication to manage GERD is intended to be a short-term solution for those well managed by it. Medication treats only the symptoms of GERD but does not solve the anatomical defect of the body's natural anti-reflux barrier. It is important for us surgeons to be able to offer all the available treatment options to guarantee the best results. The continuing technological advancements in the treatment of this disease is exciting, and the initial results with the RefluxStop procedure are certainly encouraging."

IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi - Sant'Ambrogio, Milan as part of the San Donato hospitals group, was recognized within the category 'World's Best Hospitals 2022' by Newsweek magazine in collaboration with the online research platform Statista. Over 2,200 hospitals from 27 countries around the world were involved.

"This innovative minimally invasive surgical procedure allows for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux by restoring the normal physiology of the esophagogastric junction. It is a technique which does not encircle and restrict the food passageway and thus, avoids the onset of some of the most common side effects of current anti-reflux surgical procedures, such as swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), gas bloating (abdominal distension), inability to belch and vomit. The new IRCCS Galeazzi - Sant'Ambrogio Hospital in Milan is synonymous with technological innovation and therefore guarantees our patients the possibility to receive treatment with the latest generation instruments and devices. This intervention broadens the solutions available to the surgeon with a view to offer the best treatment option for each individual patient. We are happy to have started and spearheaded a new path in the field of anti-reflux surgery which will certainly see the involvement of other centres in Italy in the coming months," said Professor Davide Bona.

"Implantica is incredibly proud to partner with Professor Bona and Professor Bonavina representing one of Europe's foremost anti-reflux centers based in Italy. We want to thank Professor Bona and his team for offering our care-changing innovative technology,  RefluxStop™ as a solution to those suffering from acid-reflux. This is the second hospital in Italy using RefluxStop™ in a short period of time, and we anticipate that more and more hospitals and surgeons in Italy will begin operating with the RefluxStop™ procedure," says Peter Forsell, CEO of Implantica.

About RefluxStop™

RefluxStop™ is a new innovative treatment that has the potential to spur a paradigm shift in anti-reflux surgery. It's unique mechanism of action differentiates it from standard of care and current surgical solutions. Existing surgical procedures and devices are focused on the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) with a principal assumption that the LES is weak and or improperly functioning thereby not closing properly. These methods encircle the food passageway to support the LES's closing sphincter and are commonly associated with side effects such as swallowing difficulties, inability to belch and vomit and gas bloating. In contrast, the RefluxStop device addresses acid reflux without affecting the food passageway.

The RefluxStop's mechanism of action is focused on reconstructing all three components of the anti-reflux barrier, that if compromised could possibly result in acid reflux. It restores and supports the natural anatomical physiology of the body allowing the body to itself solve the problem with acid reflux.

For further information, please contact:
Nicole Pehrsson,
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Telephone (CH): +41 (0)79 335 09 49
nicole.pehrsson@implantica.com

Implantica is listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market in Stockholm.

The company's Certified Adviser is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se

The information was sent for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, on April 6, 2022, at 7:30 a.m. CEST.

About Implantica

Implantica is a medtech group dedicated to bringing advanced technology into the body. Implantica's lead product, RefluxStop™, is a CE-marked implant for the prevention of gastroesophageal reflux that will potentially create a paradigm shift in anti-reflux treatment as supported by successful clinical trial results. Implantica also focuses on eHealth inside the body and has developed a broad, patent protected, product pipeline based partly on two platform technologies: an eHealth platform designed to monitor a broad range of health parameters, control treatment from inside the body and communicate to the caregiver on distance and a wireless energising platform designed to power remote controlled implants wirelessly through intact skin. Implantica is listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market (ticker: IMP A SDB). Visit www.implantica.com for further information.

Newsroom
https://www.implantica.com/media/media-kit

I.R.C.C.S. Ospedale Galeazzi - Sant'Ambrogio, Milano 
https://www.grupposandonato.it/strutture/ospedale-galeazzi-sant-ambrogio

Media Contact:
Implantica AG
Juanita Eberhart
VP Marketing & Advocacy
M: +1 925-381-4581
juanita.eberhart@implantica.com

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