Hemosphere Exceeds 4000 HeRO Grafts Sold – Rapid Therapy Adoption at Leading Best Practice Centers Aligns with Blood-Stream Infection (BSI) Reduction Initiatives

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Hemosphere, Inc., developer of the HeRO® Graft for hemodialysis access, announced that another sales record was achieved. Last week, Hemosphere sold the 4000^th HeRO® Graft marking a new milestone in the company’s history.

“With government agencies and medical societies focused on healthcare reform and infection reduction, we recognize that our rapid therapy adoption is an acknowledgement of the proven reduction in costly infections in both the hospital and clinical based settings. HeRO is quickly becoming a standard of care for catheter-dependent hemodialysis patients who have failed other access options due to venous outflow obstruction such as central vein stenosis,” says Patrick Wethington, Hemosphere President and CEO.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website, 70% of blood-stream infections are found in patients with “central venous catheters” – a tube that is placed into a patient’s large vein, usually in the neck, chest, arm, or groin. When these catheters are used for dialysis, they may be left in place for several weeks/months. A bloodstream infection can occur when bacteria or other germs travel down the “central line” and enter the bloodstream.

HERO (He</span>modialysis Reliable Outflow) Graft is implanted completely under the skin which minimizes these infection risks. Some hemodialysis patients are considered “catheter-dependent” because they have failed other AV access solutions due to central vein stenosis – a blockage of the central veins that inhibits blood flow. The HeRO Graft bypasses central venous stenosis and is clinically proven to reduce costly infections by 69% compared to hemodialysis catheters.

HeRO is identified by name in the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Catheter-Reduction Toolkit developed by the Forum of ESRD Network’s Medical Advisory Council as a recommended alternative to hemodialysis catheters.

About Hemosphere:
Hemosphere, Inc., is leading innovation and collaboration in the global development and commercialization of technologies that revolutionize care and restore quality of life for end-stage renal disease patients with compromised vasculature.