First placement and use of Speedboat in South Africa

Seven upper GI tract patients successfully treated

Creo Medical Group plc (AIM: CREO) (“Creo” or the “Company”), a medical device company focused on the emerging field of surgical endoscopy, today announces the successful first use of its Speedboat endoscopic advanced energy device in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GI) in seven patients in South Africa. This follows the appointment of the Company’s South African sales and distribution partner, First Medical Company, in July 2018.

The upper GI procedures, which were performed by a leading South African gastrointestinal surgeon, included the use of Speedboat in the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum. Elisabeth Oltmanns, Head of Professional Education at Creo, observed the cases as they were performed and commented:

Elisabeth Oltmanns, Head of Professional Education at Creo, observed the cases as they were performed and commented:

It was a pleasure to watch as the techniques and training we have established through the Creo Medical Clinical Education Programme to focus on lower GI usage was pioneered with procedures adapted for use in the upper GI, opening up the beginning of a new chapter in the evolution of the platform and advanced devices for GI treatment.

Speedboat is the first device developed for use with Creo’s CROMA generator, an electrosurgical platform that combines bipolar radiofrequency for precise, localised cutting and microwave for controlled coagulation. The Speedboat harnesses the cut and coagulation of the generator to enable the removal of cancerous and pre-cancerous GI growths. Until now, the device has only been used in a clinical setting in the United Kingdom for lower gastrointestinal procedures.

Craig Gulliford, Creo’s Chief Executive Officer, commented:

This is a double first for Creo. The use of our lead product, Speedboat, in upper GI procedures and in a clinical setting outside of the UK is a key step in the commercialisation of our technology, validating both our technology and the quality of our Clinical Education Programme and further supports our belief that our devices, powered by our CROMA electrosurgical platform, can improve patient outcomes. We remain committed to advancing the emerging field of surgical endoscopy through our innovative, cutting-edge energy platform and the suite of minimally invasive GI devices under development.