DANVERS, Mass., Aug. 26, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abiomed, Inc. (Nasdaq:ABMD), a leading provider of breakthrough heart support technologies, today reported that it received approval from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to be included on its authorized Veteran's Administration (VA) Federal Supply Schedule in which Abiomed can provide the Impella® platform to VA medical facilities, Department of Defense (DOD) hospitals and other federal agencies.
This contract allows the Company to make the Impella platform available through an automated online database for the approximately 169 VA facilities and the approximately 42 DOD hospitals in the United States. The five year contract will run until August 2018.
"We are very excited about this VA contract for the Impella platform. The Impella pumps are a staple in our cath lab and the ordering and purchasing process will now be streamlined for our administrators, allowing quick and easy access to this state of the art technology," said Bernadette Speiser, BSN, MSN, CCRN, Catheterization Lab Director, Jesse Brown Medical Center in Chicago, IL.
"The need for next generation cardiac support devices like Impella is becoming ubiquitous, particularly for VA hospitals. While we are already users of the Impella device, this contract will improve and automate our processes for receiving the technology," said Mladen Vidovich, M.D., Chief of Cardiology, Jesse Brown Medical Center.
According to the CDC¹, veterans are significantly more likely than non-veterans to have two or more chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
"This is a significant opportunity that will allow federal medical facilities to reach even more U.S. military veterans with our Impella technology. Abiomed is committed to helping those who have served our country and ensuring they have the best quality care available," said Michael R. Minogue, President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Abiomed. "Our strong dedication to serving our military veterans is also evidenced by the Company's support and investment in the Medical Technology Veterans program, which will kick off its second annual boot camp at the 2013 AdvaMed MedTech Conference in September."
1. Kramarow, E., Pastor, P. (2012). The Health of Male Veterans and Nonveterans Aged 25–64: United States, 2007–2010 (NCHS Data Brief, Number 101, August 2012). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
ABOUT ABIOMED
Based in Danvers, Massachusetts, 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: http://www.abiomed.com/">www.abiomed.com
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding development of Abiomed's existing and new products, the Company's progress toward commercial growth, and future opportunities and expected regulatory approvals. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements based upon a number of factors, including uncertainties associated with development, testing and related regulatory approvals, including the potential for future losses, complex manufacturing, high quality requirements, dependence on limited sources of supply, competition, technological change, government regulation, litigation matters, future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing, and other risks and challenges detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly report on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.