MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, February 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Concentric Medical, Inc. today announced that the first patients were enrolled in TREVO 2 (Thrombectomy REvascularization of large Vessel Occlusions) at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon and at Capital Health in Trenton, New Jersey. Oregon Health & Science enrolled the first patient in TREVO 2 and Capital Health was first to use the Trevo device. TREVO 2 is a pivotal clinical trial investigating the safety and efficacy of Concentric's Trevo(R) Retriever for removing clot from ischemic stroke patients. The Trevo Retriever is the first device utilizing Stentriever(TM) technology, a novel method for retrieving clot from the neurovasculature.

"The continued advancement of retrieval devices is critical to our abilities to treat stroke patients," said Dr. Erol Veznedaroglu, Director of Neurosciences and Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery at Capital Health in Trenton, New Jersey, where Trevo was used for the first time in the United States by Dr. Kenneth Liebman, Cerebrovascular Endovascular Neurosurgeon.

"The experience with Stentriever devices in Europe is very encouraging. We expect the Trevo Retriever to be more effective and to treat patients more quickly and ultimately expand endovascular treatment to more stroke patients in years to come," said Dr. Kenneth Liebman, Director of Neurosurgical Critical Care at Capital Health, who used the device at the hospital's Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center of New Jersey.

"It was a true team effort and very exciting for the team to enroll the first patient in TREVO 2," said Helmi Lutsep, MD who is a Professor of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon and national co-principal investigator of TREVO 2, "With the TREVO 2 study now underway, we are closer to bringing this important technology to acute ischemic stroke patients in the US."

The Trevo Retriever is the latest in a portfolio of products from Concentric Medical, the company that first introduced retrievers for acute ischemic stroke. The Trevo's Stentriever design leverages the company's long history of developing clot retrieval technologies for acute ischemic stroke. Backed by years of research, the Trevo device is the first and only retriever of its type designed for quick access, rapid clot integration and predictable clot retrieval in ischemic stroke patients.

The TREVO 2 study will build upon Concentric's previous clot retrieval trials, MERCI and Multi MERCI, which have provided compelling evidence of the benefits of retrieving stroke-causing clots from the blood vessels of acute ischemic stroke patients. Leading acute ischemic stroke centers across North America and Europe will be participating.

The Trevo Retriever was launched in Europe and other international markets in 2010 and has received very positive feedback from clinicians throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

About Concentric Medical

Concentric Medical is located in Mountain View, California and is the global leader in the development of endovascular devices for revascularizing stroke patients. The company manufactures and markets solutions for ischemic stroke: minimally invasive devices that are delivered into the brain to restore blood flow by removing blood clots that cause ischemic stroke. Concentric Medical's devices are available in over 500 leading stroke centers around the world, and have been the subject of several clinical studies with total enrollment of over 1,300 patients.

For more information about Concentric Medical, please visit http://www.concentric-medical.com.

About the Trevo System

The Trevo System is an innovative, high-performing, easy-to-use thrombus retrieval system. The main component of the Trevo System introduces Stentriever(TM) technology, and creates a new generation of retrieval device to remove clot in acute ischemic stroke. Concentric Medical is the pioneer in developing devices for ischemic stroke intervention. Since 2002, Concentric Medical's devices have been used in thousands of stroke patients worldwide. This experience has been incorporated into the design of the Trevo System to make thrombus removal an easier, faster and more predictable procedure. The new Trevo System combined with the Merci(R) portfolio of Retrievers and DAC(TM) catheters further strengthens Concentric Medical's position as the global leader in acute ischemic stroke intervention.

About Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of death in the developed world and the leading cause of serious long-term disability. Ischemic stroke represents over 85% of strokes and occurs when a blockage or clot develops in one of the arteries supplying blood to the brain. CE mark for the Merci Retriever was first obtained in 2002. In 2004 the FDA cleared Concentric Medical's Merci Retriever(R) for use in patients who are ineligible for IV-tPA or who fail to respond to IV-tPA therapy. This pioneering device creates a departure from the historic method of caring for stroke patients and offers physicians and patients a long-awaited option for stroke intervention.

    
    Media Contact:
    +1-650-938-2100
    strokeinfo@concentric-medical.com

SOURCE Concentric Medical, Inc.