WCTF.org Transplant News

WASHINGTON, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Center for Adult Stem Cell Education (www.Adultstemcelleducation.com) today announced that it has officially launched a global communications and government-political affairs program at the 3rd International Spinal Cord Injury Symposium, Olfactory Mucosa Autografts (OMA) and Rehabilitation to be held today, May 9th, through May 10th in Argostolli, Kefalonia, Greece. The ICASCE will be headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, with operational offices in Washington, D.C. (contact: Jack Wynn, 703-623-4288; jackwynn@comcast.net) and Bangkok, Thailand.

Donald Margolis, ICASCE Chairman and Founder (donmargolis@gmail.com; 215-764-6312), will be one of the guest speakers at the symposium. In 2003, Mr. Margolis became the FIRST person in the world to create a company to treat dying heart patients with adult stem cells. The guest of honor at the symposium will be pioneer Portuguese neuropathologist Dr. Carlos Lima, who has developed the successful OMA transplant surgical procedure for treating spinal cord injury by harvesting patients' own stem cells from their noses, by which those cells are then transplanted into the sites of the spinal cord breaks. ICASCE is a public affairs educational organization seeking to educate and inform the world about the research and treatment of diseases using adult stem cells.

According to Mr. Margolis, "ICASCE was recently (April '08) founded to educate the American public on the potential of adult stem cells for diagnosing, treating, curing and preventing disease. Thousands of people are dying unnecessarily each month because they don't know there are adult stem cell treatments available. The fact is that adult stem cells offer promising prospects for effective treatments and possible cures for people with heart conditions, spinal cord injuries, and a host of incapacitating diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's."

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Source: International Center for Adult Stem Cell Education

CONTACT: Jack Wynn, Director of Communications of ICASCE,
+1-703-623-4288, jackwynn@comcast.net

Web site:

http://www.adultstemcelleducation.com/

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Profile: Transplant News

Visual Acuity Reported to Remain Stable or Improve in 86% at Six Months

TORONTO, May 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Novadaq(R) Technologies Inc. (TSX: NDQ), a developer of real-time imaging and image guidance systems for use in the operating room, today announced that independent data was presented at the recent Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, April 26 - May 1, 2008. Data from two of the three European hospitals currently using the OPTTX-2N1(R) System in commercial practice was presented. Sacco Hospital in Milan Italy and University Hospital of Coventry in Coventry, England are using OPTTX routinely in the evaluation and treatment of patients with wet Age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Retinal specialists from Sacco Hospital reported on 28 patients treated for naive wet AMD or having failed other treatments. The authors reported that the device uniquely facilitates identification and treatment of feeder vessels (FVs). Visual acuity (VA) results at six months demonstrate that the vast majority (86%) of the patients remained stable or improved, and the technique appeared to be safe and reproducible. These data suggests that treatment with the OPTTX device can be used as an alternative to the anti-VEGF drugs. Moreover, it appears the treatment can be safely applied before, after or in-combination anti-VEGF treatment. Further follow up results for this patient cohort will be reported at the upcoming Euroretina meeting to be held in Vienna Austria, May 26-31, 2008.

In a second poster presentation, Dr. Sergio Pagliarini from the University Hospital of Coventry also reported on his experience as a first time user of OPTTX. Dr. Pagliarini prospectively treated 14 patients and concluded that after the initial learning curve associated with OPTTX, use of a real-time visualization and treatment system was feasible, safe, and relatively easy having achieved success in the majority of cases.

The OPTTX-2N1 System, using the same core technology as the commercially available SPY(R) System, is a single device that performs multiple functions. The OPTTX System is designed to enable retinal specialists to diagnose, treat and provide on-going management of patients suffering from wet AMD. As the only imaging device with the ability to visualize the disease state of wet AMD during treatment, OPTTX allows retinal specialist to accurately diagnose and treat by targeting and closing the abnormal FVs in real-time, within a single patients visit. OPTTX also allows the retinal specialist to immediately confirm the effectiveness of the treatment.

"The data presented from these two hospitals further corroborates previously reported data on the effectiveness of OPTTX in 58 wet AMD patients," said Allison Manners, Vice President of Regulatory and Clinical Affairs, Novadaq Technologies Inc. "Of particular importance is the data confirming that OPTTX can be used in combination with other treatments to optimize therapy and improve the management and outcomes for individual patients. It is absolutely clear that there is a market need for the OPTTX System to provide an alternative treatment option for patients, including those that have failed or rejected intra-vitreal injections. OPTTX has demonstrated its role in the effective diagnosis, management and treatment of wet AMD."

About Novadaq Technologies

Novadaq Technologies Inc. commercializes real-time imaging and image guidance systems for use in the operating room. With one set of proprietary core technologies, Novadaq's products have multiple applications. Novadaq's SPY System enables cardiac surgeons to diagnose intra-operatively by visually assessing coronary vasculature and bypass graft functionality during the course of heart bypass surgery. The SPY System is also indicated for use during other surgeries, such as cardiovascular, plastic, reconstructive, organ transplant and urological procedures. SPY can be used to visualize blood vessels, tumors, tumor margins and the lymphatic system. Novadaq introduced PINPOINTTM, its first minimally invasive imaging system for autofluorescence in October 2007. PINPOINT allows surgeons to differentiate between healthy and cancerous tissue in the lung and other hollow organs. Further expanding its portfolio of minimally invasive products, Novadaq is developing SPYscope which combines the typical features of a standard endoscope with the additional capabilities of SPY imaging. Novadaq is the exclusive United States distributor of PLC Medical's CO2 HEART LASER System, used in the same cardiac procedures as the SPY System. Novadaq also offers the OPTTX System, which leverages the company's core imaging technology and is designed for the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). For more information, please visit the company's website at www.novadaq.com.

Forward looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release may be considered forward-looking. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on Novadaq's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Novadaq and relate to, among other things, results of future clinical tests of PINPOINT and the SPY System, anticipated financial performance, business prospects, strategies, regulatory developments, market acceptance and future commitments. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by Novadaq in its public securities filings actual events may differ materially from current expectations. Novadaq disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: Novadaq Technologies Inc.

CONTACT: visit our website at www.novadaq.com, or contact: Arun Menawat,
PhD, MBA, President & CEO, Novadaq Technologies Inc., (905) 629-3822 x 202,
amenawat@novadaq.com; Michael Moore, Investor Relations, The Equicom Group,
(416) 815-0700 x 241, mmoore@equicomgroup.com

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Profile: Transplant News