Neovasc Reducer Featured in Live Case at Berlin Symposium

NASDAQ, TSX: NVCN

VANCOUVER, Jan. 18, 2018 /CNW/ - Neovasc Inc. ("Neovasc" or the "Company") (Nasdaq, TSX: NVCN) today reported its Neovasc Reducer™ ("Reducer") was featured in a "live case" broadcast to more than 800 participants at the Kardiologie Symposium 2018 held in Berlin, Germany.  The successful live case was performed by Dr. Spyrantis and Professor Banai in the Sana-Klinikum Lichtenberg.

"The patient in this case, like a growing number of patients, still had significant angina after all medical treatment options had been exhausted.  There is clearly a need to address this patient population as their quality of life is very poor and the burden on the healthcare system is significant due to the frequency of emergency room visits," commented Dr. Olaf Göing, a panelist during the live case session. "Reducer is an important and innovative treatment option for patients suffering from refractory angina."

"The live case and the momentum in the post market study reflect the continued success of Reducer's performance in Europe," commented Neovasc CEO, Alexei Marko.  "As Dr. Göing's comments suggest, we believe we are only beginning to scratch the surface of this very serious condition." 

The Company's REDUCER-I Observational Study is a multi-center, multi-country, three-arm study collecting long-term data from European patients implanted with the Reducer.  The study is expected to enroll up to 400 patients. Currently, 135 patients have been enrolled across 20 centers that are active in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

About Reducer
The Reducer is CE-marked in the European Union for the treatment of refractory angina, a painful and debilitating condition that occurs when the coronary arteries deliver an inadequate supply of blood to the heart muscle, despite treatment with standard revascularization or cardiac drug therapies. It affects millions of patients worldwide, who typically lead severely restricted lives as a result of their disabling symptoms, and its incidence is growing. The Reducer provides relief of angina symptoms by altering blood flow in the heart's circulatory system, thereby increasing the perfusion of oxygenated blood to ischemic areas of the heart muscle. Placement of the Reducer is performed using a minimally invasive transvenous procedure that is similar to implanting a coronary stent and is completed in approximately 20 minutes.

About Kardiologie Symposium 2018
The Kardiologie Symposium 2018 takes place for the 18^th time and is co-chaired by Dr. Göing from Sana-Klinikum Lichtengerg, Berlin and by Professor Falk from the Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin.

About Neovasc Inc. 
Neovasc is a specialty medical device company that develops, manufactures and markets products for the rapidly growing cardiovascular marketplace.  Its products include the Reducer, for the treatment of refractory angina which is not currently available in the United States and has been available in Europe since 2015, and the Tiara™, for the transcatheter treatment of mitral valve disease, which is currently under investigation in the United States, Canada and Europe. The Company also sells a line of advanced biological tissue products that are used as key components in third-party medical products including transcatheter heart valves. For more information, visit: www.neovasc.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws regarding the Company's plans and expectations concerning clinical interest in its products, the future performance of the Reducer, the anticipated timing for and enrolment in its REDUCER-I Observational Study, the growing incidence of patients suffering angina and the growing number of patients still suffering angina after all medical treatment options are exhausted. Words and phrases such as "growing", "continued", "only beginning to" and "expected", and similar words or expressions, are intended to identify these forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate in the circumstances.  Many factors and assumptions could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; risks relating to the Company's need for significant additional future capital and the Company's ability to raise additional funding; risks relating to the Warrants and Notes, offered pursuant to the November 2017 public offering of units and private placement of senior secured convertible notes and warrants (the "Financings"), resulting in significant dilution to the Company's shareholders; risks relating to the possibility that the Company's Common Shares may be delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market or the Toronto Stock Exchange, which could affect their market price and liquidity; risks relating to it being more expensive for the Company to raise capital in the future and dilution to investors; risks relating to the Company's Common Share price being volatile; risks relating to the sale of a significant number of Common Shares; risks relating to the restrictions on the Company entering into certain transactions; risks relating to the exercise of Warrants or conversion of Notes offered pursuant to the Financings, which may encourage short sales by third parties; risks relating to claims by third parties alleging infringement of their intellectual property rights; the Company's ability to establish, maintain and defend intellectual property rights in the Company's products; risks relating to results from clinical trials of the Company's products, which may be unfavorable or perceived as unfavorable; the Company's history of losses and significant accumulated deficit; risks associated with product liability claims, insurance and recalls; risks relating to competition in the medical device industry, including the risk that one or more competitors may develop more effective or more affordable products; risks relating to the Company's ability to achieve or maintain expected levels of market acceptance for the Company's products, as well as the Company's ability to successfully build the Company's in-house sales capabilities or secure third-party marketing or distribution partners; the Company's ability to convince public payors and hospitals to include the Company's products on their approved products lists; risks relating to new legislation, new regulatory requirements and the efforts of governmental and third party payors to contain or reduce the costs of healthcare; risks relating to increased regulation, enforcement and inspections of participants in the medical device industry, including frequent government investigations into marketing and other business practices; risks associated with the extensive regulation of the Company's products and trials by governmental authorities, as well as the cost and time delays associated therewith; risks associated with post-market regulation of the Company's products; health and safety risks associated with the Company's products and the Company's industry; risks associated with the Company's manufacturing operations, including the regulation of the Company's manufacturing processes by governmental authorities and the availability of two critical components of the Reducer; risk of animal disease associated with the use of the Company's products; risks relating to the manufacturing capacity of third-party manufacturers for the Company's products, including risks of supply interruptions impacting the Company's ability to manufacture its own products; risks relating to breaches of anti-bribery laws by the Company's employees or agents; risks associated with future changes in financial accounting standards and new accounting pronouncements; risks relating to the Company's dependence upon key personnel to achieve the Company's business objectives; the Company's ability to maintain strong relationships with physicians; risks relating to the sufficiency of the Company's management systems and resources in periods of significant growth; risks associated with consolidation in the health care industry, including the downward pressure on product pricing and the growing need to be selected by larger customers in order to make sales to their members or participants; the Company's ability to successfully identify and complete corporate transactions on favorable terms or achieve anticipated synergies relating to any acquisitions or alliances; anti-takeover provisions in the Company's constating documents which could discourage a third party from making a takeover bid beneficial to the Company's shareholders; risks relating to conflicts of interests among the Company's officers and directors as a result of their involvement with other issuers; and risks relating to the influence of significant shareholders of the Company over the Company's business operations and share price. These risk factors and others relating to the Company are discussed in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" sections of the Company's Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, each of which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F, and the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the third quarter of 2017 (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov).  These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements.  The Company has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Neovasc Inc.