First use of Speedboat® UltraSlim in Latin America

Creo Medical Group plc (AIM: CREO), the medical device company focused on the emerging field of surgical endoscopy, announces that its latest device, Speedboat® UltraSlim, has now been successfully used in Latin America for the first time.

Speedboat® UltraSlim was used at the Ecuadorian Institute of Digestive Diseases ("IECED") in late December, where Dr Carlos Robles Medranda, Dr Michel Kahaleh and Dr Eduardo Albeniz, supported by the Creo clinical team, performed 12 procedures using Speedboat® UltraSlim over three days, as well as performing the first ever F-POEM procedure with the device. F-POEM (Endoscopic Fundoplication Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy) is a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure used to treat oesophageal motility disorders in patients who are prone to gastroesophageal reflux.

Following the limited market release of Speedboat® UltraSlim in December 2023 the device has been successfully used in multiple clinical applications and was used in the UK, USA to treat precancerous lesions in the colon, oesophagus and stomach, in addition to performing oesophageal and gastric POEM procedures (a procedure which addresses swallowing disorders and gastroparesis).

Carlos Robles-Medranda, Head of the Endoscopy Service at IECED, said: "I had the privilege of hosting these distinguished physicians, facilitating the successful execution of 12 procedures over three days using Speedboat UltraSlim. The excitement around the device was noticeable, and we eagerly anticipate the positive impact it will have on enhancing our patient pathways as we look to address an increased number of cases."

Dr Michel Kahaleh, who performed many of these procedures at IECED, commented: "From the very first time when I saw the device, I knew that it was born to do POEM procedures. It allowed me to glide over the muscularis when tunnelling. Once you have acquired the knowledge to use this technology, you're really going to save procedure time. The technology allows the endoscopist to complete an F-POEM procedure with a single device, whereas previously it required three different devices."

Craig Gulliford, Chief Executive Officer of Creo Medical, said: "The procedures done at IECED have shown the full potential of the new Speedboat UltraSlim. We were thrilled to witness the successful execution of the F-POEM procedure using solely the Speedboat device, a task that traditionally requires three separate instruments. This not only showcases the device's efficiency but also enhances the cost-effectiveness of the procedure, underscoring the economic advantages Creo's technology can deliver to our valued customers."

About Speedboat® UltraSlim

Speedboat® UltraSlim is the third device in Creo's Speedboat® family of products, and is targeting the therapeutic treatment of disease in the GI tract (including cancer of the Bowel, Stomach and Oesophagus) as well as surgical procedures to deal with abnormalities resulting in swallowing disorders and, in some cases, gastric reflux. This latest generation Speedboat has broad application in the GI tract due to a smaller configuration, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of colonoscopes and gastroscopes.

Powered by Creo's CROMA advanced energy platform, Speedboat® UltraSlim delivers fluid as well as advanced bipolar RF energy for controlled cutting and high frequency MW energy for controlled coagulation of tissue in the GI tract. The device is the culmination of a long programme of work to further miniaturise Creo's technology, and is compatible with the working channel of all commercially available endoscopes accessing the vast majority of GI endoscopic procedures.