LYON, France, Sept. 1, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EDAP TMS SA (Nasdaq:EDAP), the global leader in therapeutic ultrasound, is pleased to announce that its Chief Financial Officer, Eric Soyer, was interviewed yesterday by The Wall Street Reporter. The interview provides a corporate overview of EDAP TMS and highlights the new Focal Therapy trend in the urology community to address prostate cancer. The interview also covers EDAP's market expansion of Ablatherm-High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) into China and recent advancements with its Sonolith i-sys and Sonolith i-move, for which the company has submitted a 510(k) application for marketing clearance to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
Mr. Soyer discussed the current major shift to a new paradigm in the treatment of prostate cancer that is called "focal therapy" as opposed to current radical treatments of the prostate. There is a growing demand for less aggressive treatment options for prostate cancer while preserving patient quality of life. Focal therapy, which calls for a targeted, precise treatment and significantly reduces the side effects or complications, has the potential to be a perfect compromise. "This trend is a huge market opportunity for therapeutic ultrasounds, which indeed offer a unique blend of treatment accuracy, efficacy, and reduced morbidity. And we at EDAP, as one of the leaders in HIFU want to take advantage of that trend and leverage our prominent IP portfolio and technological expertise in the field."
Mr. Soyer further noted EDAP's potential opportunities in the lithotripsy space. EDAP's two state of the art technologies to treat urinary stones, Sonolith i-move and Sonolith i-sys, have been approved by European and Japanese officials respectively. In the U.S., we recently submitted the application for 510(k) marketing clearance to the FDA for the Sonolith i-move. Upon clearance, EDAP will then be well positioned to address all U.S. lithotripsy market segments.
The interview is available at www.wallstreetreporter.com directly via the following link: http://www.wallstreetreporter.com/2010/08/edap-nasdaq-edap-management-interview/.
About EDAP TMS SA
EDAP TMS SA develops and markets Ablatherm, the most advanced and clinically proven choice for high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment of localized prostate cancer. HIFU treatment is shown to be a minimally invasive and effective treatment option with a low occurrence of side effects. Ablatherm-HIFU is generally recommended for patients with localized prostate cancer (stages T1-T2) who are not candidates for surgery or who prefer an alternative option, or for patients who failed radiotherapy treatment. Approved in Europe as a treatment for prostate cancer, Ablatherm-HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) is currently undergoing evaluation in a multicenter U.S. Phase II/III clinical trial under an Investigational Device Exemption granted by the FDA. The Company also is developing this technology for the potential treatment of certain other types of tumors. EDAP TMS SA also produces and commercializes medical equipment for treatment of urinary tract stones using extra-corporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL). For more information on the company, please visit http://www.edap-tms.com, http://www.hifu-planet.com.