Opto Circuits’ subsidiary launches Dior; will tap market worth US$1.20 billion

Bangalore, February 20, 2007: EuroCor Life Sciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Opto Circuits (India) Ltd. (OCI), a leading manufacturer of healthcare devices, has launched its revolutionary product - DIOR, a pioneering paclitaxel-eluting balloon dilation catheter used in PTCA (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) procedures.

Dior is the only one of its kind life saving catheter. It can be effectively used in the treatment of coronary in-stent restenosis and treatment of small-diameter (less than 2.5mm) coronary artery lesions; which make for 4 per cent of the total market requirements. EuroCor is the only company in the world to have obtained CE (Conformité Européen) certification for its drug eluting balloon catheters.

The world figure for stent implants stand at approximately 4 million today; 70 per cent amongst these are drug eluting ones and 30 per cent are bare metal stents. The restenosis rates are 10 per cent and 30 per cent on drug eluting and bare metal stents, respectively. EuroCor expects 8, 56, 000 balloon catheters to be used on these patients, which, approximately translates into a revenue stream worth US$1.20 billion. With the only CE accreditation in place, EuroCor is well poised for a massive market share in this product category.

Re-stenosis is usually treated with placing another Stent within the existing Stent, at times, resulting in even higher re-stenosis. By the application of Dior, the long-term patient outcome is significantly more favorable. Dior enables the Cardiologist to treat in-stent re-stenosis without placing another Stent into the Stent and thus rendering the patient safe for further interventions, if needed.

DIOR, as a concept, was conceived by EuroCor when the experts at the company realized the incidence of in-stent restenosis after a PTCA intervention ranged highly from 5 – 35 per cent. In cases of re-stenting, it became apparent that the local administration of drugs would need to be prolonged in order to be beneficial. Under these circumstances, the most pronounced form was seen with paclitaxel balloon coated catheters.

Clinical evidence trials, too, concluded that the treatment with Paclitaxel eluting balloon dilation catheters significantly reduce the incidence of restenosis.