NxStage Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTM), a leading manufacturer of innovative dialysis products, announced that a group of its home hemodialysis patients and their partners will be embarking on a week-long, conventional (non-dialysis) Caribbean cruise with their NxStage System One? cyclers. The cruise, dubbed the "2010 Freedom Cruise: We're Taking Home Dialysis to Sea," departs from Miami, Fla. on January 3, 2010 and returns on January 10, 2010. The NxStage System One is the first truly portable, easy-to-use hemodialysis system cleared for home use by the U.S. FDA (see also NxStage Medical, Inc.).
"In the past, being a dialysis patient meant scheduling your life around your in-center treatment schedule," said NxStage home hemodialysis patient and cruise organizer Rich Berkowitz. "If we wanted to travel, we were limited to destinations where space at local dialysis centers was available, and arrangements had to be made weeks or months in advance. Cruises like this were only possible with a dialysis medical team onboard. We are excited to show other dialysis patients that we, too, can enjoy the freedom and flexibility that others have by traveling with our System Ones. Dialysis doesn't have to be the end of 'normal' living, but rather a new beginning."
The innovative design of the NxStage System One - its small size relative to other hemodialysis equipment, standard electrical connections, and bagged solutions - make it uniquely portable to support NxStage patients' ability to take their therapy with them when they travel. Under the guidance of their physician, patients can use the NxStage System One, with their trained partners, where, how and when it best meets their needs, at home or on vacation. In the years that the NxStage System One has been available, numerous patients have, with the approval of their doctor and center, taken cruises with their NxStage systems, but this is the first known large group, patient-organized cruise by home hemodialysis patients using the NxStage System One.
"We are thrilled to see our patients and their partners truly celebrating the health and flexibility benefits of home hemodialysis with our System One," said Jeffrey H. Burbank, chief executive officer of NxStage Medical. "This cruise underscores our mission to help dialysis patients lead full and vibrant lives, and we hope that this is just one of many trips in the future."
To enable flexibility and travel, NxStage supports patient travel to destinations and ports within the United States at no additional charge, upon receipt of a physician's prescription and per the company's travel policy guidelines. Patients interested in traveling with their NxStage System One can request a copy of the travel guidelines packet through NxStage Customer Service at 1-866-NXSTAGE.
NxStage Medical is not sponsoring or organizing the cruise but is supporting the shipment of supplies to the Miami port for cruise participants, as outlined in the travel policy. More information about the 2010 Freedom Cruise can be found at www.billpeckham.com/cruise/2010-freedom-cruise-information-central.html or on NxStage's website at www.nxstage.com/FreedomCruise, where regular updates will be posted.
