Laguna Hills, CA – Nov 8, 2012 - Vessix Vascular, Inc., a developer of novel percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter technology for the treatment of hypertension, announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX). The acquisition is expected to close by the end of November 2012. Upon completion of the acquisition, Vessix Vascular will become part of the Peripheral Interventions business at Boston Scientific.

The agreement calls for an upfront payment of $125 million, plus $300 million in additional clinical and sales-based milestones aggregating a maximum value of the transaction of $425 million.

"Hypertension is a major global healthcare challenge, affecting more than one billion people worldwide," said Mike Mahoney, president and chief executive officer at Boston Scientific. "Renal denervation represents a potential breakthrough therapy for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension and is an important part of the Boston Scientific growth strategy. The acquisition of Vessix Vascular adds a second generation, highly differentiated technology to our hypertension strategy while accelerating our entry into what we expect to be a multi-billion dollar market by 2020."

Hypertension is the leading attributable cause of death worldwide.  Despite the widespread availability of antihypertensive medications, the blood pressure of many patients remains high and uncontrolled.  Renal denervation is an emerging, catheter-based therapy for medication-resistant hypertension that uses radiofrequency energy to disrupt the renal sympathetic nerves whose hyperactivity leads to uncontrolled high blood pressure.  Renal denervation has been demonstrated in published clinical studies to significantly reduce systolic blood pressure.

Raymond W. Cohen, chief executive officer at Vessix Vascular said, "We are confident that the combination of the Vessix Vascular renal denervation technology with the Boston Scientific broad global clinical and commercial scale will result in a new standard for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension."

The Vessix Vascular V2 Renal Denervation System™ has received CE Mark in Europe and TGA approval in Australia. Vessix Vascular has initiated the REDUCE-HTN post-market surveillance study and expects to initiate a full launch of the product in CE Mark countries in 2013.

"The Vessix System offers the potential for a significant step forward in the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension," said Prof. Horst Sievert, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the CardioVascular Center Frankfurt, Sankt Katharinen Hospital, in Frankfurt, Germany.  "In my experience, the system offers ease of use, faster treatment times with decreased patient discomfort and an intuitive approach to renal denervation that leverages the expertise of the interventionalist with balloon catheter technology."

"We expect that hypertension therapies will be a key growth driver for Boston Scientific going forward," said Jeff Mirviss, president of the Peripheral Interventions business for Boston Scientific. "We believe the Vessix Vascular Renal Denervation System will position us for leadership in this important market.  We look forward to offering this technology to help patients better control their blood pressure, which also may lead to reduced healthcare costs associated with uncontrolled hypertension."

The V2 Renal Denervation System is an investigational device and not available for use or sale in the United States.

About Vessix Vascular Founded in 2003, Vessix is a private company backed by world-class European and U.S. venture capital firms including NeoMed Management, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners, Fjord Invest, OrbiMed Advisors LLC and Christopher Weil & Company. For more information, please visit www.vessixvascular.com

About Boston Scientific Boston Scientific is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices that are used in a broad range of interventional medical specialties.  For more information, please visit:  http://www.bostonscientific.com/.

TCT will also Feature a Live Vessix Procedure

Laguna Hills, CA, October 22, 2012 - Vessix Vascular, Inc., a developer of novel percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter technology for the treatment of hypertension, announced today that it would present the latest REDUCE-HTN renal denervation clinical study data at this year’s Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) meeting to be held Oct. 22-26 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami.

On October 25, Dr. Eric Wyffels of the Cardiovascular Center in Aalst, Belgium will transmit a live Vessix renal denervation procedure in the Main Arena at TCT.

Renal denervation is a percutaneous, catheter-based therapy that disrupts renal sympathetic nerves whose hyperactivity leads to uncontrolled high blood pressure.

REDUCE-HTN is a 120-patient post-market approval clinical surveillance study of medication resistant hypertensive patients employing the Vessix V2 Renal Denervation System that is being conducted at more than 20 leading international centers located in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Australia, and New Zealand. REDUCE-HTN is evaluating the ability of the Vessix System to reduce the systolic and diastolic blood pressure at six months as compared to the pre-treatment baseline blood pressures of patients.

“REDUCE-HTN is one of the largest renal denervation studies actively enrolling patients,” said Vessix CEO, Raymond W. Cohen, “We are working with many of the world’s experts in renal denervation and our clinical data suggests that the Vessix System is safe and efficacious and provides clinicians with a treatment that is faster and easier to use than any method or technology currently available.”

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure and the leading attributable cause of death worldwide, occurs when the nerves regulating the body’s major organs, including the brain, heart, kidneys and blood vessels, become hyperactive.  According to the American Heart Association, a 5 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) reduction in systolic blood pressure results in a 14 percent decrease in stroke, a 9 percent decrease in heart disease, and a 7 percent decrease in overall mortality. Renal denervation has shown in clinical studies to be safe, durable and effective in reducing systolic blood pressure by over 30 mm Hg or approximately 20 percent from baseline.

Find Vessix at TCT 2012

Vessix will be exhibiting its V2 System in booth #120 at the TCT 2012 conference to be held October 22-26 in Miami and will feature the following presentations and live cases:

Tuesday, October 23           Room D231-232

10:45AM      “Efficacy of Renal Denervation Is Positively Impacted by Longitudinal Treatments”

Wednesday, October 24      Room A201-202

4:28PM         Emerging Technologies for Renal Denervation-Vessix Vascular

Thursday, October 25          Main Arena II – Plenary Session Live Cases

8:45AM        Live Vessix Procedure from Cardiovascular Center Aalst

Thursday, October 25          Presentation Theater 1

10:30AM      Taped Live Case – RF balloon Catheter Renal Denervation Treatment of a Patient with Uncontrolled Hypertension

About the Market for Renal Denervation

Industry analysts suggest that there are more than 12 million patients worldwide whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled, despite taking three or more anti-hypertensive medications. This represents a global market opportunity for renal denervation that could ultimately grow to $30 billion.

About the Vessix V2 Renal Denervation System

• The Vessix System for the treatment of hypertension is an over-the-wire balloon catheter with an array of RF electrodes in a precise pattern designed to deliver a modest dose of RF energy to disrupt the renal nerves located in the adventitia that surround the renal artery. The patented RF balloon catheter connects to a proprietary bipolar RF generator specifically designed and optimized for the renal denervation clinical application. 

• Therapy is delivered via a balloon catheter that is quite familiar to interventional cardiologists and other physicians, thereby increasing the usability and safety profile of the device.

• The Vessix balloon catheter occludes blood flow to the renal artery during the 30-second RF therapy delivery allowing for a directed and highly controlled flow of energy to the target nerves. Consequently, the V2 is significantly faster – by an order of magnitude – than renal denervation systems currently marketed. 

• Rapid RF treatment time greatly increases the efficiency of the denervation procedure and promises additional safety benefits to the clinician conducting the procedure, and the patient, based on less use of contrast dye and lower exposure to radiation.

About Vessix Vascular, Inc.

Founded in 2003, Vessix is a privately held company developing novel radiofrequency balloon catheter technology. Vessix is backed by world-class European and U.S. venture capital firms including NeoMed Management, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and OrbiMed Advisors LLC. For more information on Vessix Vascular, please visit the Company’s website at www.vessixvascular.com or contact Matt Clawson at Allen & Caron Inc at 949-474-4300 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Laguna Hills, CA, Sept 17, 2012 - Vessix Vascular, Inc., a developer of novel percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter technology for the treatment of hypertension, announced today that it has received approval from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for its V2 Renal Denervation System™ for the treatment of hypertension. Renal denervation is a percutaneous, catheter-based therapy that uses RF energy to disrupt renal sympathetic nerves whose hyperactivity leads to uncontrolled high blood pressure.

TGA approval enables Vessix to market its patented V2 System throughout Australia.

Hypertension is the leading attributable cause of death worldwide. According to the American Heart Association, a 5 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) reduction in systolic blood pressure results in a 14 percent decrease in stroke, a 9 percent decrease in heart disease and a 7 percent decrease in overall mortality. Renal denervation has shown in published clinical studies to be safe, durable and effective in reducing systolic blood pressure by approximately 20 percent.

Find Vessix at TCT 2012 in Miami, Florida

Vessix will be exhibiting its V2 Renal Denervation System in booth 120.

About the Market for Renal Denervation

Industry analysts suggest that there are more than 12 million patients worldwide whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite taking three or more anti-hypertensive medications representing a global market opportunity for renal denervation that could ultimately grow to $30 billion.

About the Vessix V2 Renal Denervation System

• The V2 System for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension is an over-the-wire balloon catheter with an array of RF electrodes mounted in a precise pattern designed to deliver a controlled dose of RF energy to disrupt the renal nerves located in the adventitia that surround the renal artery. The patented RF balloon catheter connects to a proprietary bipolar RF generator specifically designed and optimized for the renal denervation clinical application.

• Therapy is delivered via a balloon catheter that is quite familiar to interventional cardiologists and other physicians, thereby increasing the usability and safety profile of the device.

• The V2 balloon catheter occludes blood flow to the renal artery during the 30-second RF therapy delivery allowing for a directed and highly controlled flow of heat energy to the target nerves. Consequently, the V2 is significantly faster – by an order of magnitude – than other renal denervation systems currently marketed.

• Rapid RF treatment time greatly increases the efficiency of the denervation procedure and additional safety benefits to the clinician conducting the procedure and the patient in terms of less use of contrast dye and lower exposure to radiation.

About Vessix Vascular, Inc.

Founded in 2003, Vessix is a private company developing novel RF balloon catheter and bipolar RF generator technology. The Company is backed by world-class European and U.S. venture capital firms including NeoMed Management, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and OrbiMed Advisors LLC. For more information on Vessix Vascular, please visit the Company’s website at www.vessixvascular.com or contact Matt Clawson at Allen & Caron Inc at +1-949-474-4300 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Patented RF Balloon Catheter Delivers Treatment in Under One Minute

Laguna Hills, CA, May 1, 2012 - Vessix Vascular, Inc., a developer of novel percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter technology for the treatment of hypertension, announced today that it has received Conformité Européenne (CE) Mark approval for its V2 Renal Denervation System™ for the treatment of hypertension. Renal denervation is a percutaneous, catheter-based therapy that uses RF energy to disrupt renal sympathetic nerves whose hyperactivity leads to uncontrolled high blood pressure.

The CE Mark enables Vessix to market its patented V2 System throughout the European Union. The CE certification was issued to Vessix by its notified body, BSI Group, also known as the British Standards Institution.

“Vessix offers a unique approach to treating uncontrolled hypertension that provides excellent clinical results and is faster, easier to use and less painful for patients than any renal denervation system currently available in the market,” said CEO Raymond W. Cohen. “After eight years optimizing RF balloon catheter and bipolar RF generator technologies, it is rewarding to see the V2 System working effectively in clinical practice to safely reduce patient blood pressures. As part of our commercialization strategy, Vessix has initiated a post-market approval surveillance study during which we plan to treat 120 patients at up to 20 international centers located across Western Europe."

Hypertension is the leading attributable cause of death worldwide. According to the American Heart Association, a 5 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) reduction in systolic blood pressure results in a 14 percent decrease in stroke, a 9 percent decrease in heart disease and a 7 percent decrease in overall mortality. Renal denervation has shown in published clinical studies to be safe, durable and effective in reducing systolic blood pressure by approximately 20 percent.

Michael D. Gioffredi, Vessix’s Chief Commercialization Officer said, “Renal denervation is rapidly becoming one of the most important medical device developments in decades and we believe that our unique design will set a new standard for the treatment. In light of this regulatory clearance and the strong early clinical results from our multi-center European pilot study, we are moving forward with our commercialization plans in Europe and we look forward to sharing additional pre-clinical and human data at upcoming medical conferences in support of that launch.” 

Vessix to Present Initial Clinical Study Results at EuroPCR Conference in Paris May 15-18 

Vessix will present interim clinical results from its pilot REDUCE-HTN clinical study for patients with uncontrolled hypertension at EuroPCR 2012.

Professor Uta Hoppe, M.D., of Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg, Austria, will present one-month post-treatment safety and efficacy data from her patients treated at Paracelsus and additional patients treated at Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, France and OLV Ziekenhuis in Aalst, Belgium. The presentation will be made during the “Emerging Interventional Technologies for Treatment of Resistant Hypertension” at 8:00 - 10:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 17 in Room 241 at the Palais des Congrès de Paris..

Find Vessix at EuroPCR 2012

Vessix will be exhibiting its V2 Renal Denervation System in booth M72.

Vessix CEO Raymond W. Cohen will also present at the Cardiovascular Innovation Pipeline on Renal Denervation to be held on Wednesday, May 16 at 15:00 local time in Room 351.

About the Market for Renal Denervation

Industry analysts suggest that there are more than 12 million patients worldwide whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite taking three or more anti-hypertensive medications representing a global market opportunity for renal denervation that could ultimately grow to $30 billion.

About the Vessix V2 Renal Denervation System

• The V2 System for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension is an over-the-wire balloon catheter with an array of RF electrodes mounted in a precise pattern designed to deliver a modest dose of RF energy to disrupt the renal nerves located in the adventitia that surround the renal artery. The patented RF balloon catheter connects to a proprietary bipolar RF generator specifically designed and optimized for the renal denervation clinical application.

• Therapy is delivered via a balloon catheter that is quite familiar to interventional cardiologists and other physicians, thereby increasing the usability and safety profile of the device.

• The V2 balloon catheter occludes blood flow to the renal artery during the 30-second RF therapy delivery allowing for a directed and highly controlled flow of heat energy to the target nerves. Consequently, the V2 is significantly faster – by an order of magnitude – than other renal denervation systems currently marketed.

• Rapid RF treatment time greatly increases the efficiency of the denervation procedure and additional safety benefits to the clinician conducting the procedure and the patient in terms of less use of contrast dye and lower exposure to radiation.

About Vessix Vascular, Inc.

Founded in 2003, Vessix is a private company developing novel RF balloon catheter and bipolar RF generator technology. The Company is backed by world-class European and U.S. venture capital firms including NeoMed Management, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and OrbiMed Advisors LLC. For more information on Vessix Vascular, please visit the Company’s website at www.vessixvascular.com or contact Matt Clawson at Allen & Caron Inc at +1-949-474-4300 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Vessix to Exhibit V2 Renal Denervation System at EuroPCR 2012 in Paris

 Laguna Hills, CA, April 12, 2012 - Vessix Vascular, Inc., a developer of novel percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter technology for the treatment of hypertension, announced today that veteran medical device sales and marketing executive Michael D. Gioffredi has been named Chief Commercialization Officer.

Gioffredi has worked as an executive in the medical device industry for over 25 years and for the past six years served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Fremont, CA-based AngioScore, Inc., a developer of angioplasty scoring balloon catheters used in treating artery disease. Previously, he was Chief Marketing Officer at Irvine, CA-based Cardiac Science, Inc.

“Mr. Gioffredi brings extremely valuable expertise in global marketing and sales to Vessix that will assist us to accelerate commercialization of the Vessix V2 Renal Denervation System,” said Chief Executive Officer Raymond W. Cohen. “We are currently in the midst of our international, multi-center REDUCE-HTN renal denervation clinical study for medication-resistant hypertension and believe now is the right time for us to begin preparing for commercialization in Europe. Michael has a track record of producing specific and measurable results with velocity - I know this first hand having worked together in the past to successfully launch new products worldwide.”

Vessix's V2 Renal Denervation System for the treatment of hypertension is an over-the-wire balloon catheter with electrodes mounted on the exterior of the balloon to facilitate the delivery of RF to the adventitia layer of the renal artery.

Vessix at EuroPCR 2012

Vessix announced that it will be exhibiting its V2 RF balloon catheter Renal Denervation System in booth M72 at the EuroPCR 2012 conference to be held May 15-18 in Paris.

During EuroPCR, Vessix will be presenting at the Cardiovascular Innovation Pipeline on Renal Denervation to be held on Wednesday, May 16 at 3:00 pm in Room 351.

About Renal Denervation

Renal denervation is a percutaneous, catheter-based therapy that uses radiofrequency energy to disrupt renal (or kidney) sympathetic nerves whose hyperactivity leads to uncontrolled high blood pressure, also called resistant hypertension.

According to the American Heart Association, a 5 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) reduction in systolic blood pressure results in a 14 percent decrease in stroke, a 9 percent decrease in heart disease, and a 7 percent decrease in overall mortality. Renal denervation has shown in clinical studies to be safe, durable and effective in reducing systolic blood pressure by as much as 20 percent.

Numerous analysts suggest that there are more than 12 million patients worldwide whose blood pressure remains uncontrolled, despite taking three or more anti-hypertensive medications. This represents a global market opportunity for renal denervation approaching $30 billion.

About Vessix Vascular, Inc.

Founded in 2003, Vessix is a privately held pre-revenue stage company developing novel radiofrequency balloon catheter technology. The Company is backed by world-class European and U.S. venture firms including NeoMed Management, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and OrbiMed Advisors LLC. For more information on Vessix Vascular, please visit the Company’s website at www.vessixvascular.com or contact Matt Clawson at Allen & Caron Inc at 949-474-4300 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Laguna Hills, CA, February 23, 2012 - Vessix Vascular, Inc., a developer of novel percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter technology, announced today initial patient treatments in the international multi-center REDUCE-HTN renal denervation clinical study for uncontrolled hypertension.

REDUCE-HTN is a non-randomized, prospective, single cohort, 64-patient clinical study designed to validate the clinical performance of the Vessix V2 Renal Denervation System™ for medication-resistant hypertensive patients. Renal denervation is a new percutaneous catheter-based procedure that disrupts renal sympathetic nerves whose hyperactivity leads to abnormally high blood pressure.
The renal denervation procedures employing the Vessix balloon catheter were performed at Paracelsus Medical University in Salzburg, Austria by Prof. Uta Hoppe, a world-class interventional cardiologist with extensive renal denervation experience in Germany and Austria.

The first patient treated was 39 years old with pre-treatment blood pressure readings of 174/114 despite taking four anti-hypertensive medications. The second patient was 44 years old with a blood pressure of 168/106 despite taking six anti-hypertensive medications.

“We found the Vessix catheter easy to use and quite efficient in terms of therapy time. Moreover, the patient required modest amounts of intravenous anxiolytics and narcotics since the therapy was delivered in a matter of seconds,” said Prof. Hoppe following the procedure. “We will, of course, closely monitor the patients and are optimistic that the Vessix approach will produce a measurable reduction in blood pressure.”

By design, all patients enrolled in the study have a baseline systolic blood pressure greater than 160 mm Hg despite being treated by at least three anti-hypertensive drugs. The 10-center REDUCE-HTN study will enroll patients at leading medical centers in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, Netherlands and Australia.  The study, which calls for patients to be followed for 24 months, will capture post-treatment office-based and ambulatory blood pressure measurements at various time points in accordance with internationally recognized guidelines. In addition to assessing the patient’s clinical condition, the renal arteries of treated patients will be imaged at various time points post-treatment to confirm safety of the procedure.

Raymond W. Cohen, Vessix Vascular’s CEO, said, “The initiation of the REDUCE-HTN study begins a new chapter for Vessix. Seeing the first patients treated is satisfying for our employees, physician advisors and collaborators who have supported the V2 product development efforts and extensive pre-clinical work over the past few years. Our therapy is a result of diligently leveraging eight years of engineering experience in RF balloon catheter design and bipolar RF generator technology to create an elegant product that we believe represents a potential game-changer in the emerging field of renal denervation. We look forward to working with the first class clinical investigators and institutions participating in the study and sharing the clinical results in the coming months.”

About the Vessix V2 Renal Denervation System

• The V2 System for the treatment of medication-resistant hypertension is an over-the-wire balloon catheter with an array of RF electrodes in a precise pattern designed to deliver a modest dose of RF energy to disrupt the renal nerves located in the adventitia that surround the renal artery. The patented RF balloon catheter connects to a proprietary bipolar RF generator specifically designed and optimized for the renal denervation clinical application.
• Therapy is delivered via a balloon catheter that is quite familiar to interventional cardiologists and other physicians, thereby increasing the usability and safety profile of the device.
• The V2 balloon catheter occludes blood flow to the renal artery during the 30-second RF therapy delivery allowing for a directed and highly controlled flow of energy to the target nerves. Consequently, the V2 is significantly faster – by an order of magnitude - than the only renal denervation system currently marketed.
• Rapid RF treatment time greatly increases the efficiency of the denervation procedure and promises additional safety benefits to the clinician conducting the procedure and the patient in terms of less use of contrast dye and lower exposure to radiation.

About Vessix Vascular, Inc.

Founded in 2003, Vessix is a privately held pre-revenue stage company developing novel radiofrequency balloon catheter technology. The Company is backed by world-class European and U.S. venture firms including NeoMed Management AS, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners and OrbiMed Advisors LLC. For more information on Vessix Vascular, please visit the Company’s website at www.vessixvascular.com or contact Matt Clawson at Allen & Caron Inc at 949-474-4300 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Laguna Hills, CA, February 13, 2012 - Vessix Vascular, Inc., a developer of novel percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter technology, announced today that it will make its first detailed public presentation of preclinical data relating to its new V2 Renal Denervation System™ on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at the TRenD Workshop 2012, in Frankfurt, Germany.

The presentation, titled "Percutaneous RF balloon-mediated renal denervation in under a minute: The V2 System by Vessix," will be made by James R. Margolis, M.D., a luminary in the field of interventional cardiology, during a session focused on emerging technologies for renal denervation.

Renal denervation is a percutaneous, catheter-based approach that disrupts renal sympathetic nerves whose hyperactivity leads to uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Dr. Margolis commented, “Vessix’s pre-clinical data is the most robust I have seen in the field of renal denervation for hypertension. The data provides significant angiographic and histological evidence of safety and also effectiveness in reducing kidney norepinephrine levels – a surrogate for reduction of blood pressure in humans. The Vessix RF balloon catheter technology promises to place a very familiar tool in the hands of interventionalists and allow therapy to be safely delivered in seconds. I look forward to seeing the results of the upcoming multi-center international clinical study set to begin in Europe later this month.”

Vessix's V2 Renal Denervation System for the treatment of drug resistant hypertension is an over the wire balloon catheter with electrodes mounted on the exterior of the balloon to facilitate the delivery of RF inside the renal artery. The patented catheter connects to a proprietary low power bipolar RF generator. After inflation in the artery, the balloon catheter’s RF energy is activated for 30 seconds resulting in the disruption of the renal nerves located in the adventitia that surround the renal artery.

About the Vessix V2 Renal Denervation System

• Therapy is delivered via a balloon catheter that is quite familiar to interventional cardiologists thereby increasing the usability and safety profile of the device.

• The V2 balloon catheter occludes blood flow to the renal artery during the 30 second RF therapy delivery allowing for directed and highly controlled flow of energy. Consequently, the V2 is significantly faster - by an order of magnitude - than the only other competitively marketed renal denervation system that takes approximately 30 minutes to deliver treatment to each renal artery.

• Rapid RF treatment time greatly increases the efficiency of the renal denervation procedure and promises additional safety benefits to the patient in terms of lower exposure to radiation, less use of contrast dye and lower renal toxicity.

About Vessix Vascular, Inc. – Founded in 2003, Vessix is a venture backed privately-held pre-revenue stage company developing novel radiofrequency balloon catheter technology. Vessix is backed by European and U.S. investors including NeoMed Management, Edmond de Rothschild and OrbiMed Advisors. The Company’s initial product, the ZCath^® System, has a CE Mark for use in reducing plaque in peripheral leg arteries. For more information on Vessix Vascular, please visit the Company’s website at www.vessixvascular.com or contact Matt Clawson at Allen & Caron Inc at 949-474-4300 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

VESSIX VASCULAR COMPLETES $23 MILLON FINANCING

ROUND LED BY EDMOND DE ROTHSCHILD INVESTMENT PARTNERS AND ORBIMED ADVISORS

Laguna Hills, CA, August 3, 2011 – Vessix Vascular, Inc. (formerly known as Minnow Medical, Inc.), a developer of novel percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter technology announced today that it has completed a $23 million Series B preferred stock financing. The lead investor in the financing round was Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP) of Paris, France. Also participating in the financing was NY-based OrbiMed Advisors, CDF Dinova Venture Partners of Hong Kong along with existing investors NeoMed Management and Christopher Weil & Company. Subsequent to the close of the transaction, Raphael Wisniewski of EdRIP and Vince Burgess of OrbiMed have been appointed to the Vessix Board of Directors. Use of proceeds from the financings will provide working capital to accelerate product development initiatives and funding for a series of multi-center clinical trials to further expand clinical indications for the Company’s patented RF balloon catheter technology. In conjunction with the financing, Vessix Vascular established a European subsidiary based in Paris with a view toward supporting its European clinical studies and anticipated commercial product launches.

Raymond W. Cohen, Chief Executive Officer of Vessix said, “We are encouraged that this group of world class investors and strategic partners has recognized the potential of the Vessix technology and the large patient populations that could benefit from commercialization of our products. Over the next year, we intend to move into a number of new clinical applications where our technology is well suited.”

About NeoMed Management - NeoMed Management is an international investment firm, exclusively focusing on the healthcare and life science industry. Founded in 1996, NeoMed has established four funds, with total committed capital exceeding $200 million.  NeoMed invests in early-stage life science companies with outstanding growth prospects. For more information please visit: www.neomed.net

About EdRIP - Paris-based Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners is dedicated to investments into privately owned companies. It has currently more than €800 million under management invested primarily as life sciences venture capital and growth capital. The life sciences team consists of seven professionals bringing together over 30 years of experience in the life science industry and more than 50 years of private equity and venture capital experience. The team has approximately €220 million under management, and raised its most recent fund, €150 million BioDiscovery 3 fund, in 2008. Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners is part of La Compagnie Financière Edmond de Rothschild. For more information please visit: www.edrip.fr

About OrbiMed Advisors, LLC - OrbiMed Advisors is the largest healthcare-dedicated fund manager in the world.  With approximately $5 billion under management and offices in New York, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, and Mumbai, OrbiMed offers the global resources to be an exceptional long term partner for its portfolio companies. For more information, please visit: www.OrbiMed.com

About Christopher Weil & Company, Inc - Christopher Weil & Company, Inc. is a San Diego-based FINRA-member Broker-Dealer and SEC Registered Investment Advisor that, together with affiliates, has sponsored and managed over fifty private equity funds formed to invest in real estate, oil/gas operations, small business equity, venture capital and specialty securities portfolios. For more information please visit: www.cweil.com

About Vessix Vascular, Inc. - Vessix was initially founded in 2003 as Minnow Medical, Inc. Vessix is a privately-held pre-revenue stage company developing novel radiofrequency balloon catheter technology. For more information on Vessix Vascular, please visit the Company’s website at www.vessixvascular.com or contact Matt Clawson at Allen & Caron Inc at 949-474-4300 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it