AccessClosure Announces Distribution Agreement for Radial Compression Band

AccessClosure Announces Distribution Agreement for Radial Compression Band
Portfolio of Vascular Closure Devices Expanded with Addition of the Bengal™

related stories:
Overview of
Radial Access

Radial Access Center

external sites:
AccessClosure, Inc.

September 29, 2010 -- Mountain View, California -- AccessClosure, Inc., the market leader in extravascular closure devices, announced today an exclusive agreement with Benrikal Services to distribute the Bengal Radial Compression Band in the United States. The Bengal, uniquely designed for transradial procedures, will join the Mynx™ Vascular Closure Device in AccessClosure's portfolio of products.

"We felt that it was crucial to offer a solution for our customers who use the radial approach," said Gregory D. Casciaro, President and CEO of AccessClosure. "As a customer-focused company, we are striving to provide technologies for all approaches to access site management. The Bengal complements the key features of the Mynx, both of which were designed to minimize impact on the artery, to offer clinical versatility, and to deliver a comfortable experience for the patient. Including the Bengal in our closure portfolio allows AccessClosure to offer the same level of service and education to an even broader base of interventionalists."

The Bengal was designed in partnership with radial pioneer Olivier F. Bertrand, MD, PhD, FSCAI, an Interventional Cardiologist at the Quebec Heart-Lung Institute and Associate-Professor, Faculty of Medicine, at Laval University. "I designed this device to address unmet needs in radial closure. I wanted a simple tool that achieves quick and effective hemostasis, while protecting the ulnar nerve and providing a comfortable experience for the patient," said Dr. Bertrand. "I also wanted to simplify post-operative care for my nursing staff: in my practice, the Bengal requires less monitoring time as it can be removed immediately at the end of the hemostasis period."

Vascular closure devices help to close an artery after cardiovascular procedures. Interventional cardiologists may choose to access the coronary arteries through the radial artery in the wrist instead of the traditional approach using the groin. Use of the radial technique has increased in the United States in the past several years, due in part to the evolution of the technologies that enable the procedure.

The Bengal design offers a new approach to radial artery closure, combining a compression pad that delivers a unique pattern of targeted pressure with a soft polymer gel that ensures patient comfort while the band is on the wrist. "Our Canadian customers appreciate the simplicity and ease-of-use of this band," said Guy Bélanger, President of Benrikal Services. "As transradialists grow increasingly focused on avoiding radial occlusion after procedures, we have observed a natural inclination to a device that is very easy to adjust and optimize."

About AccessClosure
Founded in 2002, AccessClosure, Inc. is a privately held medical device company pioneering innovative access site management products designed to provide a reliable, patient-friendly vascular closure experience. The Mynx® Vascular Closure Device utilizes a conformable, water-soluble polyethylene glycol (PEG) sealant to seal the femoral artery, which dissolves within 30 days, leaving nothing behind but a healed artery. The Mynx received its first FDA approval in May 2007, has been used in over 600,000 procedures, and is available in two sizes for 5F and 6F/7F procedural sheaths. For more information, visit our website at www.accessclosure.com.

About Benrikal Services and the Bengal Band
Headquartered in St Bruno, Quebec, Benrikal Services is the developer of the Bengal Radial Compression Band and manages sales and distribution of the device outside of the United States. Initially commercialized in Canada, the Bengal is sold there under the name ComfortClose™.

Source: AccessClosure, Inc.