PRESS RELEASE Antwerp 15.10.2010

EUROPE HONOURS FLEMISH DEVELOPMENT
MULTICARE’s Anti Reflux bed wins prestigious “Network Stars Award”

The Enterprise Europe Network plays a major role in the European Union’s strategy to stimulate economic growth and employment. This organisation unites over 580 enterprise supporting institutions from 47 countries. For Flanders, this is Enterprise Europe Network partner Agentschap Ondernemen. The network supports the internationalisation process of companies and helps with the prospection to potential international business and technology partners.

This year, the annual Enterprise Europe Network conference took place in the Antwerp Elisabeth Hall on 13, 14 and 15 October. During the opening day, companies were awarded with regard to 70 success stories. Each success story represents a contractual cooperation agreement realised by Enterprise Europe Network partners. The success story of Flemish company PEOS bvba MULTICARE with UZ Brussels and German company AirMed PLUS GmbH was given the award by the Head of Cabinet in charge of economy D. Gosselin and vice-president of the European Commission A. Tajani. This was awarded for the innovative character in the technological cooperation category.

The innovative character concerns new product MULTICARE Anti Reflux (AR) bed of the PEOS company, namely the back positioning of a baby at an angle of 40° or 50°, the design and material that is used to keep the baby safe and comfortable, the clinical evaluations supporting this and, last but not least, the social aspect offering this cheaply to families in need via a hiring system. German company AirmedPLUS will distribute the Anti-reflux bed on the German market, supported by the knowledge of PEOS and Prof. Dr. Vandenplas of the UZ Brussels.

The development of the AR bed, a project that was initiated in 2006 between PEOS bvba MULTICARE and UZ Brussels of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, is finding its way to Europe with this first international contract. PEOS will produce the anti-reflux bed in Belgium for the Belgian market and those of its neighbouring countries. Product licences will be concluded for other countries. The Enterprise Europe Network will assist in this internationalisation process.

Part of the proceeds of each MULTICARE AR bed is intended for the UZ Brussels fund that focuses on scientific research into children’s diseases.

After the medical world’s recognition of this therapeutic sleeping system for babies suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in August 2009, the company got numerous requests from specialised centres worldwide to share experiences with the MULTICARE AR bed. The beds are currently being tried out successfully in Europe, but also in far-away countries such as Brazil and Australia.

It is increasingly being determined that using the AR bed can seriously reduce medication or overuse of medication. The fast condition improvement in two out of three babies is constantly being confirmed. Adapting food is also a proven method in combination with the AR bed. In the near future, a multinational company in the specialised baby food industry will be approached to help support this project and to help propagate this new therapy on an international level.

In Belgium, the bed can be hired at Aprophar TGZ via the pharmacist.

Contact: PEOS bvba MULTICARE Terrasstraat 21 B-9406 NINOVE BELGIUM Tel: ..32 54 32 82 19 - Fax: ..32 54 32 66 93 E-mail: serge.vleeschouwer@peos.be URL: http://www.multicare.be Contact: Mr. Serge Vleeschouwer UNIVERSITAIR KINDERZIEKENHUIS BRUSSEL Laarbeeklaan 101 B-1090 BRUSSEL BELGIUM Tel: ..32 2 477 57 81 E-mail: yvan.vandenplas@uzbrussel.be URL: http://www.uzbrussel.be Contact: Prof. Dr. Y. Vandenplas AirMed PLUS GmbH Obere Stahlindustrie 4 D-44793 BOCHUM GERMANY Tel: ..49 234 91773320 - Fax: ..49 234 91773322 E-mail: birger.nispel@airmedplus.de URL: http://www.airmedplus.de Contact: Mr. Birger Nispel Enterprice Europe Network Flanders Agentschap Ondernemen Seminariestraat 2 B-9000 GENT Tel: ..32 9 267 40 20 - Fax: .. 32 9 267 40 60 E-mail: marleen.heyse@agentschapondernemen.be URL: http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu Contact: Mw. Marleen Heyse APROPHAR nv Dienst TGZ Ravenshout zone 5.2 Industrieweg 106 B-3980 TESSENDERLO Tel.: ..32 13 61 33 71 - Fax: .. 32 13 61 33 72 E-mail: marc.mertens@aprophar.be URL: http://www.aprophar.be Contact: Mr. Marc Mertens

PRESS RELEASE Jette, Ninove 24.08.2009

MEDICAL WORLD RECOGNISES NEW THERAPY FOR REFLUX BABIES

20% of parents seek medical help because of the frequent regurgitation (spitting up food) of their baby and the accompanying discomfort (crying). Reputed medical journal "Archives of Disease in Childhood" of the “British Medical Journal” group recently published the results of the clinical research project that began at the end of 2006 in the Children’s gastroenterology department of the Brussels University Hospital.

The AR bed, a development of the MULTICARE Company and the Brussels University Hospital, was investigated in a group of babies that regurgitated and cried a lot, for who medication or adapted food hadn’t helped. It was determined that the “AR bed” resulted in less regurgitation and crying in 3/4 of the babies. In addition, it was objectively established that the reflux index (% of time when there is acid in the oesophagus, measured with pH metry) almost halved within a week.

Taking account of the period of despair to desperation among parents and their baby, whether or not combined with various examinations (oesophagoscopy, pH metry, etc.), in their search for a suitable adaptation of food and medication, the AR bed can offer comfort much sooner: in general, improvement is noticed within a day.

The AR bed is now suggested by paediatricians as a first step in the treatment of regurgitation and/or gastro-oesophageal reflux. Apart from reassuring parents, a nutritional approach (adapted volume, thickened Anti-Regurgitation food); this posture therapy contributes to the decrease of complaints. This is a major step forward in ending the spiral of medication overuse in babies who spit up food and cry a lot.

Professor Y. Vandenplas: “Medication is mainly of use in reflux disease, i.e. acid reflux and oesophagitis. Many babies who spit up food do not have reflux disease. In other words, medication has little use for these babies. All medication has potential side effects, which is why avoiding this medication is preferable. Experience with the MULTICARE AR bed has taught us that a fair number of children no longer needed to take medication.”

More information can be found on www.multicare.be/eng/arbedeng.html

Contact:

PEOS bvba – MULTICARE® – serge.vleeschouwer@peos.be – tel: 0032 54 32 82 19
UZ Brussels Children – Yvan.Vandenplas@uzbrussel.be – tel: 0032 2 477 57 81

PRESS RELEASE 30.10.2007

WORLD FIRST
SLEEPING SYSTEM FOR BABIES WITH REFLUX

Reflux
Regurgitation means bringing food back up, to regurgitate or throw up. It’s a condition that many babies have regularly. Gastro-oesophageal reflux means that the stomach content flows back into the oesophagus. Reflux usually has to do with a sudden weakening of the not yet fully developed sphincter between the lower oesophagus and the stomach. This sphincter can not yet fulfil its barrier function, because of which food flows back into the oesophagus, in the mouth and sometimes also in the airways.
During the first year of one’s life, the sphincter will usually develop further and be able to fully carry out its function.
Just over half of all three to four-month-old babies regurgitate every day. About 20% of parents seek medical help due to the frequent regurgitation and discomfort (crying) of their baby.

Positioning as therapy
In the period before it was indicated that lying on the tummy increased the risk of cot death, this position -after adaptation of the frequency of feeding and amount of food- at a 30° angle, was the first step in treatment. Various scientific studies proved the efficiency of this method, because of which the use of medicine could be limited.
As lying on the back at a 30° angle turned out to be inefficient, the paediatric gastroenterology unit of the Brussels University Children’s Hospital, in cooperation with MULTICARE (PEOS ltd), started the “Back-lying positioning with a minimum 40° angle as new therapy for the treatment of regurgitation in babies” research project in December 2006. It was led by Prof. Dr. Y. Vandenplas. His department is an internationally leading centre in this field. MULTICARE’s task was to offer sleep comfort at this high angle. MULTICARE is known on the market as a manufacturer of scientifically founded sleep comfort for babies and children. MULTICARE developed the AR bed (photo) especially for this project. The AR bed is compact and can easily be placed in an existing barred bed. The best way of reaching the little patients at home is now being examined (baby shop, health insurance company or pharmacist.)

The study’s interim results  
Report of Prof. Dr. Y. Vandenplas, Brussels University Children’s Hospital, 25 October 2007:
“The research is still being done. The interim results of this study seem promising and positive. The majority of babies clearly regurgitated less; they spew up a smaller amount of food less frequently. In addition, these babies cried notably less.
Especially infants who spew a lot of food shortly after drinking and cry a lot when doing this, are calmer in this bed. Although the angle of inclination is very impressive, most children seem to sleep peacefully in this position. We currently think that the AR bed is particularly useful just after feeding. Only a small number of children showed almost no improvement.”

Contact:
PEOS ltd – MULTICARE® – serge.vleeschouwer@peos.be – tel.: 0032 54 32 82 19

UZ Brussels Children – Yvan.Vandenplas@uzbrussel.be – tel.: 0032 2 477 57 81