PARIS, October 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- Research Shows New Class of Stent Effective in Preventing Thrombosis, Restenosis, and Reocclusion

CeloNova BioSciences, Inc., today announced that Masahiko Ochiai MD, Associate Professor, Division of Cardiology, Yokohama Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan has selected the CATANIA(TM) Coronary Stent System featuring NanoThin Polyzene(R)-F for treating a patient with a chronic total occlusion (CTO) during a live case symposium at the Paris Cardiovascular Interventions (Francophone) Congress. The CATANIA(TM) Coronary Stent System carries a CE Mark and is currently available for sale in Europe.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081001/CLW080-a ) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081001/CLW080LOGO-b )

Chronic total occlusion is defined as any artery where blood flow has been completely blocked for greater than 30 days. These types of lesions are exceptionally difficult to treat with percutaneous intervention (angioplasty) because of the challenges physicians face in crossing the lesion to move the catheter into place for proper stent deployment. The CATANIA(TM) Stent was selected for this live case because Polyzene(R)-F makes it highly lubricious and delivers low restenosis rates, excellent anti-thrombosis rates, and other clinical benefits that approach or, in some cases, may exceed those of DES, while addressing some of the significant ongoing concerns with current DES technology such as product cost, risk for thrombosis, and serious challenges associated with costly long-term dual anti-platelet therapy following treatment.

"The CATANIA(TM) Stent has superb pushability, trackability, and flexibility. You can feel that the Polyzene(R)-F surface is slicker than other stents," said Thierry Corcos, MD, Service de Cardiologie, Clinique Turin, Paris, France. "For the live case, we want to really test the CATANIA(TM) Stent's capabilities in a challenging anatomy, because of the clinical evidence that Polyzene(R)-F nanocoating prevents thrombosis, restenosis and reocclusion. Based on my experience, I believe the CATANIA(TM) Stent is an ideal choice for treating coronary artery disease, including chronic total occlusions."

The rapid-exchange, cobalt-chromium CATANIA(TM) Stent features a modified open-cell design and is available in 60 sizes in lengths from 8mm to 38mm and in diameters, from 2.0 to 4.0mm. The CATANIA(TM) Stent does not contain any drugs, off-loaded materials or biological substitutes. The proprietary nanothin, highly lubricious Polyzene(R)-F is a synthesized, inorganic, biocompatible polymer that is anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, bacterial-resistant, and essentially cloaks the device's presence from the body to promote healthy endothelial cell growth without stimulating platelet activation. This unique combination of stent and surface treatment effectively creates a new and different class of stent that does not require long-term dual anti-platelet therapy.

"It is exceptionally gratifying that Dr. Corcos and Dr. Ochiai selected to showcase the abilities of the CATANIA(TM) Stent in such an important, and difficult-to-treat live case, because we design all of our products from the ground up using direct feedback from the physicians who use them," said Thomas A. Gordy, President and Chief Executive Officer, CeloNova BioSciences, Inc. "We are looking forward to presenting the CATANIA(TM) long-term, First-In-Man data on the world stage later this month during the Transcatheter Therapeutics (TCT) annual meeting in Washington, DC."

For more information about CeloNova BioSciences' products and Polyzene(R)-F technology, visit www.celonova.com .

About CeloNova BioSciences, Inc.

Headquartered in Newnan, near Atlanta, Georgia, CeloNova BioSciences, Inc., is a developer of novel medical devices that are then enhanced by one of the Company's proprietary materials, Polyzene(R)-F. Polyzene(R)-F is highly lubricious, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, and bacterial-resistant making it an ideal surface treatment for implanted medical devices. The Company's current products include its Embozene(TM) Color-Advanced Microspheres and the CATANIA(TM) Coronary Stent System with NanoThin Polyzene(R)-F. Other innovative devices are currently in the company's developmental pipeline. For more information, please visit www.celonova.com .

CONTACT: Robert J. Murphy The Storch-Murphy Group +1-908-276-0777

Web site: http://www.celonova.com

Robert J. Murphy of The Storch-Murphy Group, +1-908-276-0777, for CeloNova BioSciences, Inc. Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081001/CLW080-a, http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081001/CLW080LOGO-b, AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org, PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com