TYRX® Announces First Ever Implantation of AIGISRx® R Fully Resorbable Antibacterial Envelope

TYRX, Inc., the leader in the commercialization of implantable medical devices intended to help reduce surgical site infections, announced today that the first implantation of its new AIGISRx R Fully Resorbable Antibacterial Envelope has taken place at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute in Quebec City, Canada by Dr. François Philippon. TYRX announced on January 31, 2013 that it had received a license from Health Canada to market its AIGISRx R Fully Resorbable technology.

The AIGISRx R Antibacterial Envelope is specifically designed to stabilize Electronic Implantable Devices (EIDs), such as pacemakers and defibrillators, while also releasing antimicrobial agents to help provide protection from microbial colonization of the device during surgical implantation.

“Surgical site infections are on the rise and have profound consequences to the patient with regard to having to spend extra time in the hospital, having to undergo additional surgical procedures, and having significant increases in morbidity and mortality. They are also very expensive to treat,” stated Dr. Philippon, cardiac electrophysiologist at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute. “I found implantation of the fully resorbable envelope to be very straightforward and believe that the combination of stabilization and locally delivered antibiotics provided by the product will be of great potential benefit to our patients.”

“We are very excited to have the world’s first AIGISRx R Antibacterial Envelope implanted at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute,” commented Robert White, TYRX President and Chief Executive Officer. “The AIGISRx R includes all of the advantages of the original AIGISRx, such as stability and infection reduction, but now with the added benefit of full resorption in approximately 9 weeks.”

The AIGISRx R Envelope is intended to hold the EIDs, such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), securely in place in order to provide a stable environment when implanted in the body. Additionally, the AIGISRx R contains the antimicrobial agents rifampin and minocycline, which are released over a minimum of 7 days in order to help provide protection from microbial colonization of the device during surgical implantation.

About TYRX, Inc.
TYRX, Inc. commercializes innovative, implantable combination drug+device products focused on infection control, including the AIGISRx® Antibacterial Envelope, designed to reduce surgical site infections associated with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs). AIGISRx products contain the antimicrobial agents, rifampin and minocycline, which have been shown to reduce infection by pathogens responsible for the majority of CIED infections, including “superbugs” such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).*

About the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute in Quebec City
Annually, the Institute treats more than 14,600 people hospitalized and 90,300 outpatient visits are performed. The catchment population is over 2 million people, or approximately 30% of the population of the Province of Quebec. The Institute is the only tertiary cardiology center in cardiac electrophysiology to care for that population. Seven cardiac electrophysiologists perform each year more than 2900 procedures, including more than 1100 cardiac implantable devices. Affiliated to Laval University, the Institute relies on the cooperation and dedication of nearly 3,000 employees, physicians, healthcare professionals, researchers, managers and volunteers to provide high quality services to our population. Our specialists and health professionals have extensive expertise and contribute to the advancement of medical science and technology. The Institute is internationally renowned for its leading role in teaching and research.