PORTLAND, Ore., May 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- TriStar Wellness
Solutions(R), Inc. (OTCQB: TWSI) a health and wellness company that
targets opportunities in the advanced wound care marketplace,
announced today that its Portland,
Oregon based wholly owned independent subsidiary HemCon
Medical Technologies, Inc. (HemCon) has been awarded funding from
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a novel chitosan
endoluminal hemostatic dressing that is able to be delivered by a
catheter to control and prevent prostatic bleeding during prostatic
surgery such as transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).
Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) will work with HemCon
as a subcontractor on development of the dressing.
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Prostate benign hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer are two of
the most common urologic diseases that are treated with surgical
intervention in older men. The Department of Health and Human
Services report approximately 150,000 prostatic surgical procedures
performed in the U.S. annually1. Uncontrolled bleeding
associated with transurethral and open prostatic surgical
procedures often results in delayed healing, increased patient
discomfort and ultimately prolonged hospitalization which
significantly increases the cost of patient care.
The chitosan endoluminal hemostatic dressing development will
enable rapid control of bleeding, reduce discomfort associated with
extended catheterization, and more significantly enable reduction
in hospital stays and expenditure. A previous Phase I award
demonstrated feasibility of the chitosan endoluminal hemostatic
dressing, its incorporation into a urinary catheter device, and its
use to control bleeding in a large animal model. The Phase II
funding that has now been awarded provides for development of a
final balloon-delivered hemostatic system.
"Uncontrolled prostatic bleeding is a significant problem. By
employing current bleeding control measures, prostatic bleeding can
take from 24 to 72 hours to stop with significant associated
hospitalization cost. Because of this extended hospitalization, we
estimate the cost of prostatic procedures in U.S. and Europe alone to exceed $USD 9 billion
annually. Globally, the cost is substantially greater," said
Simon McCarthy, Chief Scientist of
HemCon. "It is projected that development of solutions such
as the chitosan endoluminal hemostatic dressing will provide not
only improved surgical outcomes by controlling post-op hemorrhage,
but also substantial savings in procedure time and length of
hospital stay." Dr. Hua Xie of OHSU added, "If successful, the
development of the chitosan endoluminal hemostatic dressing could
translate globally into significant dollars saved in prostatectomy
procedure cost and significantly improved patient outcomes."
"Research reported in this press release was supported by the
National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases of
the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R42DK078400.
The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does
not necessarily represent the official views of the National
Institutes of Health."
References
1. HCUP, National Statistics Trend Information 1993-2010
Transurethral Prostatectomy and Open Prostatectomy, 2010, US
Department of Health and Human Services.
About HemCon Medical Technologies, Inc.
HemCon Medical Technologies Inc., founded in 2001, develops,
manufactures, and markets innovative technologies for hemostatic
devices for the control of bleeding resulting from trauma or
surgery. HemCon products are designed for use by military and
civilian first responders as well as medical professionals in
hospital and clinical settings where control of bleeding are of
critical importance. HemCon is headquartered in Portland, Ore. The Company has subsidiaries in
Ireland and the Czech Republic. For more information, please
visit www.hemcon.com.
About Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University (www.ohsu.edu) is a
nationally prominent research university and Oregon's only public academic health center.
It serves patients throughout the region with a Level 1 trauma
center and nationally recognized Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
OHSU operates dental, medical, nursing and pharmacy schools that
rank high both in research funding and in meeting the university's
social mission. OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute helped pioneer
personalized medicine through a discovery that identified how to
shut down cells that enable cancer to grow without harming healthy
ones. OHSU Brain Institute scientists are nationally recognized for
discoveries that have led to a better understanding of Alzheimer's
disease and new treatments for Parkinson's disease, multiple
sclerosis and stroke. OHSU's Casey Eye Institute is a global leader
in ophthalmic imaging, and in clinical trials related to eye
disease.
About TriStar Wellness Solutions
TriStar Wellness Solutions®, Inc. (OTCQB:TWSI) is a health and
wellness company that targets opportunities in the advanced wound
care marketplace. TriStar is the owner of HemCon Medical
Technologies Inc., a company dedicated to saving lives through
innovative wound care solutions.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release for TriStar Wellness Solutions®, Inc.
contains forward-looking statements. Generally, you can identify
these statements because they use words like "anticipates,"
"believes," "expects," "future," "intends," "plans," and similar
terms. These statements reflect only our current expectations.
Although we do not make forward-looking statements unless we
believe we have a reasonable basis for doing so, we cannot
guarantee their accuracy and actual results may differ materially
from those we anticipated due to a number of uncertainties, many of
which are unforeseen, including, among others, the risks we face as
described our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which apply only as of the date of this press release.
To the extent that such statements are not recitations of
historical fact, such statements constitute forward-looking
statements that, by definition, involve risks and uncertainties. In
any forward-looking statement where we express an expectation or
belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief
is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis,
but there can be no assurance that the statement of expectation of
belief will be accomplished.
Web site: http://www.tstarwellness.com
Contact:
Stephanie
Wiegman
Tel: (503) 245-0459
Email
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SOURCE TriStar Wellness Solutions, Inc.