Business Wire

MA-ABIOMED

Share
First Patients, Including a COVID-19 Patient, Treated with Abiomed’s Innovative ECMO Technology

Abiomed (NASDAQ: ABMD) announces the first two patients in the world have been treated with the Abiomed Breethe OXY-1 System , a compact cardiopulmonary bypass system. The advanced ECMO technology pumps, oxygenates, and removes carbon dioxide from blood for patients whose lungs can no longer provide sufficient end organ oxygenation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201221005403/en/

The system can help provide oxygenation to patients suffering from cardiogenic shock or respiratory failure from ARDS, H1N1, SARS, or COVID-19. When used with the Impella heart pump , it can unload the heart and oxygenate the body, a combination therapy known as ECpella.

The first patient is a 21-year-old woman at the University of Maryland Medical Center who sustained a lung injury and was placed on V-V ECMO with the Breethe system. She immediately began to improve and was able to ambulate daily, as seen in this short video .

After eight days, the patient was successfully weaned off Breethe support and is no longer in the ICU. The patient was treated by Bartley Griffith, MD, the Hales Distinguished Professor of Surgery at University of Maryland, School of Medicine and Daniel Herr, MD, chief surgical critical care services and medical director cardiac surgery ICU at University of Maryland Medical Center.

The second patient is a 51-year-old woman being treated at HUMC/Hackensack Meridian Health for respiratory failure due to COVID-19. After 24 hours of V-V ECMO support with the Breethe system, she is stable and improving. The patient was treated by Mark Anderson, MD, chief of the division of cardiac surgery and cardiothoracic surgeon at the Heart and Vascular Hospital at HUMC/Hackensack Meridian Health.

“Breethe is an important new option for patients with COVID-19 who require ECMO therapy. It is simple and intuitive to use, highly portable and a very promising therapy with the potential to help many patients,” said Dr. Anderson.

“This revolutionary technology will change the way we think about extracorporeal life support therapy by enabling physicians to easily mobilize their patients in turn promoting a faster recovery,” said Dr. Griffith. “I am pleased to be a part of this milestone as Abiomed continues to advance respiratory and cardiac support to improve patient outcomes.”

“The Breethe system significantly facilitates early mobilization and physical rehabilitation, which is critically important in the recovery of our patients,” said Chris L. Wells, PhD, PT, CCS, ATC, associate professor at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, EBP, and research coordinator in the department of rehab services at University of Maryland Medical Center. She is also member of the medical team who treated the first patient.

Breethe adds to Abiomed’s innovative portfolio focused on native heart and lung recovery. Abiomed now provides the treatment options of the catheter-based Impella heart pump, which unloads the left ventricle, perfuses end organs and allows the heart to rest and recover, Breethe, which provides oxygenation, and the combination therapy of ECpella, when Impella and Breethe work together to unload the heart and oxygenate the body.

The Breethe system received FDA 510(k) clearance in October. It is being rolled out through a controlled launch at select hospitals in the United States, with full U.S. commercial availability expected in calendar year 2021.

ABOUT ABIOMED

Based in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA, Abiomed, Inc. is a leading provider of medical devices that provide circulatory support. Our products are designed to enable the heart to rest by improving blood flow and/or performing the pumping of the heart. For additional information, please visit: www.abiomed.com .

ABOUT ABIOMED BREETHE OXY-1 SYSTEM

The Abiomed Breethe OXY-1 System™ is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide extracorporeal circulation. The OXY-1 System pumps, oxygenates and removes carbon dioxide from blood during cardiopulmonary bypass up to six (6) hours in duration.

Under guidance issued by FDA, on April 6, 2020, the Abiomed Breethe OXY-1 System is now permitted to be used temporarily in the U.S. for ECMO therapy greater than six hours. Therefore, it now has a limited indication modification for use longer than six hours in an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) circuit to treat patients who are experiencing acute temporary respiratory or acute cardiopulmonary failure. This limited indication modification for ECMO therapy greater than six hours has not been cleared or approved by FDA and is in effect only for the duration of the public health emergency related to COVID-19 as declared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Abiomed's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

IonQ and QuantumBasel Expand Long-Term Partnership in Next-Generation Quantum Systems17.12.2025 22:10:00 CET | Press release

Extension solidifies QuantumBasel as IonQ’s Innovation Center in Europe; adds IonQ Tempo and next-generation system to advance quantum commercialization IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), the world’s leading quantum company, today announced an expanded agreement with QuantumBasel, the quantum initiative of uptownBasel, Switzerland’s innovation campus. The extended contract grants QuantumBasel ownership of its existing IonQ Forte Enterprise system and secures ownership of a next-generation Tempo system. This new agreement brings the total deal value of the QuantumBasel and IonQ partnership to over $60 million and extends IonQ’s on-site presence in Switzerland four more years, continuing through 2029. QuantumBasel is IonQ’s official Innovation Center in Europe, serving as a hub for European industry, academia, and research institutions to explore practical quantum computing applications and access IonQ’s latest enterprise-grade systems. “Our extended partnership with QuantumBasel represents a cornerston

Suzano Starts Up New Production Line, Boosting Its Fluff Pulp Capacity by 400%17.12.2025 21:50:00 CET | Press release

A R$490 million investment expands the supply of raw material used in the production of absorbent items Suzano, the world’s largest pulp producer, has commenced operations this week at its new fluff pulp production line located in its Limeira unit in Brazil’s São Paulo state. This R$490 million investment increases Suzano’s total fluff pulp production capacity by more than 400%, from 100,000 to 440,000 tonnes per year. The project involved converting the existing pulp line at the Limeira unit into a flexible machine, capable of producing both Eucafluff® and market pulp. Eucafluff® is used in the production of absorbent and personal hygiene products, such as baby and adult diapers, sanitary pads and pet pads. Then market pulp is supplied for making products including toilet paper, printing and writing papers, and paper packaging. Launched in 2015, Eucafluff® is the world’s first fluff pulp made from eucalyptus, delivering unique advantages like enhanced softness and flexibility, which t

SES Acknowledges Moody’s Rating Action and Reiterates Deleveraging Commitments17.12.2025 21:36:00 CET | Press release

SES S.A. (“SES” or the “Company”), a leading space solutions company, acknowledges the credit rating action announced by Moody’s Investor Service today, which follows the release of SES’ Q3 2025 results and Intelsat integration update. SES management reiterates that the Company continues to execute on its strategy with a clear plan to strengthen its key credit metrics over time. Consistent with this plan, it remains management’s intention to de-lever and return to credit metrics that are commensurate with investment grade, with a policy objective of reducing adjusted net leverage1 to at least 3.0x or below. Today’s rating action does not change the Company’s ability to operate its business, serve customers, or execute its strategic plan. SES maintains a balanced weighted average debt maturity profile of approximately five years, and the rating action from Moody’s is not expected to have a material impact on the interest payable under the Company’s existing debt facilities. SES also ben

Picsart and Zazzle Power the Creator-to-Commerce Evolution with Print-On-Demand Integration17.12.2025 20:47:00 CET | Press release

Partnership Gives Creators an End-to-End Solution to Create A Range of Products in the $205 Billion Creator Economy Picsart, the world’s leading digital creation platform with over two billion downloads and more than 100 million monthly active users, is partnering with Zazzle, the global leader in customized products and designs, to deliver an end-to-end printing solution for Picsart users. The new “vibe-design-to-print” integration works seamlessly with Picsart’s recently expanded suite of AI products, including AI Assistant and Flows, enabling creators to ideate, iterate, design, and bring their work to life as physical art and products. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217882832/en/ Picsart and Zazzle Power the Creator-to-Commerce Evolution with Print-On-Demand Integration “At Picsart, our mission has always been to give creators the tools they need to bring their ideas to life,” said Hovhannes Avoyan, Fo

Inspiring Leadership Recognised: Anna Byrne Named Finalist at CIPD 2026 HR Awards17.12.2025 19:58:00 CET | Press release

ProAmpac, a global leader in flexible packaging and material science, is proud to announce that Anna Byrne has been selected as a finalist in the “Most Inspirational and Impactful Leader” category at the CIPD 2026 HR Awards in Ireland. This recognition highlights Anna’s exceptional leadership, her unwavering commitment to people-first practices, and her meaningful influence across the organisation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251217690526/en/ The CIPD HR Awards in Ireland The CIPD HR Awards highlight the people profession’s crucial role in driving strategy, leading transformation, and enabling organisations to thrive. Overseen by CIPD Ireland and supported by independent academic expertise, the awards celebrate innovation, integrity, and impact within modern HR practice. This year, the awards introduce four new categories, including the “Most Inspirational and Impactful Leader” award, reflecting the evolvi

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye