China opens up to Aerocrine’s asthma test

SOLNA, Sweden, 27 June 2008—Aerocrine AB announced today that its handheld airway inflammation monitor, NIOX MINO®, has been registered for marketing and sale in China.

Aerocrine’s method of measuring airway inflammation, using exhaled nitric oxide (NO) tests, has also been incorporated into China’s national guidelines for asthma management. Tests for airway inflammation have received a reimbursement code.

In December last year, NIOX®, Aerocrine’s larger device, was registered by the SFDA, the Chinese equivalent of the FDA. Clearance of NIOX MINO—Aerocrine’s major product—means the company’s Chinese partner Bioson Inc. can now begin product sales for broad clinical use by Chinese physicians.

The newly revised Chinese National Guidelines for Asthma Treatment and Prevention state that “…exhaled nitric oxide can be used as a non-invasive marker of airway inflammation in asthma…measuring airway inflammation is helpful in choosing the best treatment scheme for asthmatic patients.”

The new guidelines have resulted in a reimbursement code being designated for Aerocrine’s method to measure airway inflammation. The code is the first big step towards doctors using NIOX MINO securing payments per test.

Anti-inflammatory therapy is a cornerstone of asthma treatment. Measuring inflammation helps improve the diagnosis of patients with asthma-like symptoms, to predict and measure drug response objectively and to optimize treatment doses. By regular monitoring of airway inflammation, the management and care of Chinese asthma patients could be dramatically improved, resulting in more cost-effective treatment.

NIOX MINO’s registration is very encouraging for Aerocrine and Bioson, and coincides with the 6th Chinese National Congress on Asthma held in Suzhou City, Jiangsu province, this week. China’s asthma specialists are convening at the Congress to learn more about the latest developments in asthma management.

For more information, please contact:

Tom Sundelin, Sales Director, telephone: +46 (0) 70 600 0967
Paul de Potocki, CEO, telephone: +46 (0)8 629 0782