First AbioCor Total Replacement Heart recipient does not survive

Abiomed, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABMD), has been informed by Mark Anderson, M.D., associate professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and chief of the section of cardiac surgery at both the medical school and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, that the first patient to receive the commercial AbioCor® Total Replacement Heart, died on August 23, 2009, due to post-operative conditions unrelated to the device. The device was implanted in the patient in June 15, 2009 and was operating successfully, however the patient’s pre-existing medical conditions precluded a full recovery with the AbioCor.

The 76-year-old male patient was diagnosed with congestive, end-stage heart failure and did not qualify for a heart transplant or other available therapies, making him eligible for the AbioCor implant. This was the first patient to receive an AbioCor implant since the completion of clinical trials and Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 5, 2006. He is survived by his wife and other family members.

No further information is available at this time.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family," said Michael R. Minogue, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Abiomed.

http://www.abiomed.com/