Implantica's RefluxStop® sparks strong excitement at the American Foregut Society meeting, ahead of pending US FDA approval

VADUZ, Liechtenstein, Sept. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Implantica AG (publ.), a medtech company at the forefront of introducing advanced technology into the body, including the innovative RefluxStop® device for the treatment of acid reflux, a treatment field with over 1 billion sufferers, announces RefluxStop® was met with great enthusiasm and positive feedback among 600+ attendees at the 2025 American Foregut Society (AFS) Annual Meeting, further accelerating US pre-launch readiness.

Anticipation for RefluxStop® in the US reached a fever pitch last week as the nation's top foregut surgeons and gastroenterologists gathered in Dallas for the AFS Annual Meeting. Even though the US launch is yet to come, RefluxStop® was the topic of much sought-after independent presentations by the most esteemed surgeons. In addition, the dynamic RefluxStop® educational panel discussion attracted nearly 120 top surgeons and GI experts, well above the planned capacity, packing the room with great excitement to learn more about RefluxStop®.

As the third and final module of the PMA application nears completion, we see a massive wave of interest emerging from surgeons in the US and worldwide, also witnessed at AFS. Accordingly, Implantica has started to build the necessary infrastructure, inventory, resources, and launch teams to deliver a speedy US rollout upon the PMA approval.

Dr. John Lipham, USC Chief of the Division of Upper GI and General Surgery and Associate Professor of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine and Past President of AFS moderated the well-attended RefluxStop® panel discussion where the excitement was palpable. The panel featured a lively discussion of the long-term data outcomes and the unique mechanism of action of the RefluxStop® procedure for treatment of acid reflux/GERD with an implant that does not encircle the esophagus.

Dr. Lipham says, "I am very excited for RefluxStop as it comes closer to receiving FDA approval, given the impressive 5-year clinical study results consistent with real-world data from Europe. The way it treats GERD is an innovative approach that is aligned with the latest scientific principles of the Anti-Reflux Barrier (ARB) recommended by the American Foregut Society."

Dr. Lipham continues, "The AFS's ARB approach not only focuses on the lower esophageal sphincter but also restores the other critical components of the body's natural anti-reflux barrier, as is the case with the RefluxStop treatment approach. The RefluxStop does not encircle the esophagus, thus minimizing the side effects commonly associated with traditional anti-reflux surgeries."

The panel included experts:

Dr. John Lipham, USC Chief of the Division of Upper GI and General Surgery and Associate Professor of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine, Past President of AFS, served as the Foregut Cancer Program Director and Chief of USC Affiliated Academic Programs of Orange County

• Dr. Peter Kahrilas, Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University
• Dr. Tripp Buckley, Director of the Center for Heartburn & Esophageal Disorders Surgeon, Professor of Surgery at University of Texas at Austin
• Professor of Surgery, Sebastian Schoppmann, MD, F.A.C.S., Head, Upper GI Service at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, and
• Dr. med. Moustafa Elshafei, Chief of General and Visceral Surgery at St. Elisabethen Hospital, Germany

Founder and CEO of Implantica, Dr. Peter Forsell adds, "I'm grateful for the dedication of independent surgeons like Prof. Schoppmann and Dr. med. Elshafei, who chose to collect and report RefluxStop® clinical data. Their profound work makes a big difference as we usher in a new generation of anti-reflux surgery with RefluxStop® leading the way."

Dr. Forsell continues, "Today, 73 million in the US suffer from acid reflux/GERD, it's a very serious issue with an urgent need for innovative solutions like the RefluxStop® procedure. I am impressed by the enthusiastic welcome RefluxStop® has received from the AFS audience, made up of top US surgeons and gastroenterologists. With excellent long-term clinical outcomes of the RefluxStop® procedure, and such massive interest and demand from US and international surgeons, we feel confident that RefluxStop® has great potential to become the preferred treatment for GERD in the US and the rest of the world."

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 17. September 2025, at 08:00 a.m. (CET).

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 energizing 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.

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. Longer established surgical options for GORD involve encircling the food passageway to support the lower esophageal sphincter's closing mechanism and are commonly associated with side effects such as swallowing difficulties, pain when swallowing and inability to belch and/or vomit.

In contrast, the RefluxStop® device treats the cause of acid reflux without encircling and putting pressure on the food passageway. It restores and maintains the lower esophageal sphincter in its original, natural position.

The RefluxStop® 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.

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

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