STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Nov. 26, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Gambro AB (Other OTC:GAMBF) (Stockholmsborsen: GAMBaST, GAMBbST), a leading international medical technology and healthcare company, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Gambro Healthcare, Inc. has entered into an agreement with American Access Care, LLC, a New York limited liability company, and Philadelphia Vascular Institute, LLC, a Pennsylvania limited liability company, to develop interventional radiology centers in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey areas. In these centers, interventions will be made by angioplasty to correct stenosis. The first center, American Access Care of North Philadelphia opened on August 26, 2002.
"We are very excited about incorporating access intervention into the portfolio of Gambro Healthcare. Proper access care and healthy maintenance of the dialysis access is important to all ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) patients and promotes better patient outcomes while reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and missed outpatient dialysis treatments," says Larry C. Buckelew, President and CEO of Gambro Healthcare U.S. "Gambro Healthcare is proud to be participating in these American Access Care centers, which are being developed to serve all patients and providers in the surrounding areas. These new patient services fit within the strategic direction of Gambro Healthcare, which is focused on providing value-added services that promote positive patient outcomes and operating efficiencies."
Vascular access costs consume at least 10% of the overall ESRD Medicare Budget and three out of the top four ESRD related admissions by diagnosis code (DRG) are vascular related. According to the NKF-DQOI guidelines regarding, Management of Vascular Access, "timely interventions by PTA/Angioplasty to correct stenosis dramatically decreases the rate of AV graft and AV fistulas thrombosis and loss."
"It's all about reducing clotting incidents and improving morbidity," says Raymond D. Figueroa, President and CEO of American Access Care. "It's convenient to have a place to send patients when they clot, but our model also reduces the rate of thrombosis and suboptimal treatments. Suboptimal treatments lower the actual delivered dialysis dose. Some patients never rebound from the cumulative effects of this scenario. AAC's clinical model assists the dialysis clinician in effectively managing the vascular access of their patients."
For further information please contact: Bengt Modeer, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, tel. +46-8-613 65 33, +46-70-513 65 33 Pia Irell, Investor Relations Director, Corporate Finance, tel. +46-8-613 65 91, +46-70-513 65 91 Kevin Smith, President Gambro Inc., Investor Relations US, tel. +1-303 231 4750
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