C2 Therapeutics’ Through-The-Scope (TTS) Cryoballoon Device for Mucosal Ablation Suggested as Advantageous Alternative to RF Ablation in Latest Issues of Endoscopy and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--C2 Therapeutics, a privately held company founded to address the limitations of current Barrett’s Esophagus (BE) treatment options, today announced that the leading medical journal for endoscopic procedures and therapies, Endoscopy, has published an article that cites the advantages of the company’s TTS Cryoballoon Device as an advantageous option for the treatment of BE. The article by Vleggaar et al. was a review of the top 20 abstracts presented at the 2012 Digestive Disease Week held in San Diego earlier this summer, and was simultaneously published in the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy journal.

“C2 is excited about the excellent results of the DeMeester study followed by the positive inferences by Vleggaar et al, and is committed to delivering more user-friendly options for physicians in providing superlative patient care”

One drawback of radiofrequency ablation (RFA), the current standard of care, is the need for such a device to be apart from or attached to the outside of an endoscope. This can be cumbersome for the operating physician and may pose safety issues for the patient. Cryospray ablation was suggested as an alternative by the article. However, the authors noted, “… current cryotherapy devices, which spray CO2 or N2 on to the mucosa, require gastric venting and ablation depth is difficult to standardize.”

Based on the pilot study by DeMeester et al., the authors went on to note that C2 Therapeutics’ novel TTS cryoballoon minimizes these issues by automatically adjusting its size to esophageal lumen, leading to absence of serious adverse events, pain or difficult swallowing by using this device.

“C2’ TTS Cryoballoon Device not only overcame the disadvantages, it also included desired features such as the ability to standardize the ablation along with the ease of use and speed of procedure,” said Peter D. Siersema, MD, PhD, Professor of Gastroenterology and Head, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands, and the senior author of the article. “While future studies are needed to assess the risk of strictures and efficacy of BE ablation by this TTS Cryoballoon, I am excited about the potential of this device to cause requisite and substantial mucosal injury for the treatment of BE in a manner comparable to RFA.”

“C2 is excited about the excellent results of the DeMeester study followed by the positive inferences by Vleggaar et al, and is committed to delivering more user-friendly options for physicians in providing superlative patient care,” said Peter Garcia-Meza, Chief Executive Officer of C2 Therapeutics. “We are confident that future studies will provide favorable assessments of stricture-risk and efficacy for Barrett’s ablation with this device.”

About C2 Therapeutics

C2 Therapeutics was founded in 2007 to address the limitations of current Barrett’s Esophagus treatment options. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, C2 is a privately held company whose C2 Cryoballoon Ablation System sets a new standard for simplicity and cost effectiveness in treating Barrett’s Esophagus. The device is a TTS (through-the-scope), highly compliant balloon catheter that is simultaneously inflated and cooled by an inert refrigerant delivered from a small disposable handheld unit. The balloon conforms to the shape of the esophageal lumen without exerting excessive tension on the esophageal wall. Operation is intuitive, fast, and cost-effective. The C2 Cryoballoon Ablation System eliminates the need for precise sizing, multiple deployment steps, intensive training for the physician, and large controller units.

For more information on C2 Therapeutics and its products, please visit http://www.c2therapeutics.com/.