Aeris Therapeutics receives CE Mark approval for AeriSeal System to treat emphysema

Aeris Therapeutics (www.aerist.com), a company specializing in the development and commercialization of novel treatments for patients with emphysema and other advanced lung diseases, today announced that it has received CE Mark approval for its AeriSeal System. The AeriSeal System is designed to provide a safer non-surgical alternative to lung volume reduction surgery, one of the few available treatments for patients with advanced emphysema. The CE Mark approval enables the Company to move forward with commercialization in Europe and other select markets.

David Dove, MD, President & CEO of Aeris Therapeutics commented, "The attainment of the CE Mark represents the achievement of another significant milestone in Aeris' mission to improve the lives of patients with advanced lung diseases. The timing of this approval coincides with the presentation by investigators of positive clinical outcomes from our EU clinical trials at the 2010 Annual Congress of the European Respiratory Society in Barcelona this week. It allows us to promptly address immediate demand for new therapies for emphysema in the EU, a potential $7 billion market opportunity."

Prof. Felix Herth, MD, Chief of the Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine at Thoraxklinik in Heidelberg, Germany and Principal Investigator of the AeriSeal System clinical study added, "This innovative approach provides an important treatment alternative to invasive options such as lung transplantation and Lung Volume Reduction Surgery. The opportunity to now offer the AeriSeal System to our patients with advanced emphysema in Germany represents a significant advance in the field that will enable us to more effectively treat patients with this difficult disease."