28 August 2024                                                                                                                                                 

Polarean Imaging plc

("Polarean" or the "Company")

Appointment of Chase Hall, M.D., as Chief Medical Advisor

Adds significant pulmonary expertise to help drive engagement with the medical community

Polarean Imaging plc (AIM: POLX), a commercial-stage medical device leader in advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging ("MRI") of lung function, announces that it has appointed Chase Hall, M.D., as Chief Medical Advisor.

Dr. Hall is an Associate Professor, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, at the University of Kansas Medical Center in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care. He also serves as Associate Director at the University of Kansas Interstitial Lung Disease and Rare Lung Disease Clinic. Dr. Hall's research focus has been on establishing imaging biomarkers in respiratory disease, utilising Xenon MRI. In his lab, he is currently working to utilise Xenon MRI as a sensitive measure of treatment response in a number of respiratory diseases, as well as rapid image acquisition protocols and fully automated image analysis programmes. In addition, Dr. Hall is a member of the Xenon MRI Clinical Trials Consortium, a growing collaboration of 13 clinical research sites; its activities include the harmonisation and standardisation of Xenon imaging protocols for multi-center clinical trials, training of new sites establishing Xenon MRI programmes, and growing awareness and expertise in the field.

In his role as Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Hall will assist in guiding Polarean's clinical development strategy and medical education initiatives with fellow clinicians and professional societies. He will leverage his experience while maintaining his clinical pulmonology practice, providing valuable insights to help Polarean address unmet medical needs in pulmonary care.

Dr. Hall received his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He serves as a peer-reviewer for many prestigious journals, such as Academic Radiology and The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Christopher von Jako, Ph.D, CEO of Polarean, said: "I am delighted to welcome Dr. Hall to Polarean as our new Chief Medical Advisor. As a leading expert in pulmonary medicine as well as a champion of our Xenon MRI technology platform, Dr. Hall is a perfect fit for the Company. His appointment represents a significant step in growing the Polarean team as we look to expand Xenon MRI to more clinical and research sites."

Chase Hall, M.D., CMA of Polarean, said: "For several years, I have been deeply interested in the potential of Xenon MRI to assist pulmonary clinicians and the patients we treat. There is a significant unmet need in pulmonary medicine for imaging technology that can better characterise disease, monitor response to therapy, and guide interventional procedures. I am excited to join Polarean to help guide the clinical development and implementation of this unique technology in pulmonary medicine."

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About Polarean

Polarean is a revenue-generating medical imaging technology company revolutionising pulmonary medicine through direct visualisation of lung function by introducing the power and safety of MRI to the respiratory healthcare community. This community is in desperate need of modern solutions to accurately assess lung function. The Company strives to optimise lung health and prevent avoidable loss by illuminating hidden disease, addressing the global unmet medical needs of more than 500 million patients worldwide suffering from chronic respiratory disease. Polarean is a leader in the field of hyperpolarisation science and has successfully developed the first and only hyperpolarised Xenon MRI inhaled contrast agent, XENOVIEW™, which is now FDA-approved in the United States. Polarean is dedicated to researching, developing, and commercialising innovative imaging solutions with its non-invasive and radiation-free pulmonary functional MRI platform. This comprehensive drug-device platform encompasses the proprietary Xenon gas blend, gas hyperpolarisation system, as well as software and accessories, facilitating fully integrated modern respiratory imaging operations. Founded in 2012, with offices in Durham, NC, and London, United Kingdom, Polarean is committed to increasing global awareness of and broad access to its XENOVIEW MRI technology platform. For the latest news and information about Polarean, please visit www.polarean.com.

XENOVIEW IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION 

Indication

XENOVIEW™, prepared from the Xenon Xe 129 Gas Blend, is a hyperpolarized contrast agent indicated for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for evaluation of lung ventilation in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older.

Limitations of Use

XENOVIEW has not been evaluated for use with lung perfusion imaging.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

None.

Warnings and Precautions

Risk of Decreased Image Quality from Supplemental Oxygen: Supplemental oxygen administered simultaneously with XENOVIEW inhalation can cause degradation of image quality. For patients on supplemental oxygen, withhold oxygen inhalation for two breaths prior to XENOVIEW inhalation, and resume oxygen inhalation immediately following the imaging breath hold.

Risk of Transient Hypoxia: Inhalation of an anoxic gas such as XENOVIEW may cause transient hypoxemia in susceptible patients. Monitor all patients for oxygen desaturation and symptoms of hypoxemia and treat as clinically indicated.

Adverse Reactions 

Adverse Reactions in Adult Patients: The adverse reactions (> one patient) in efficacy trials were oropharyngeal pain, headache, and dizziness.  Adverse Reactions in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients: In published literature in pediatric patients aged 6 to 18, transient adverse reactions were reported: blood oxygen desaturation, heart rate elevation, numbness, tingling, dizziness, and euphoria. In at least one published study of pediatric patients aged 6 to 18 years, transient decrease in SpO2% and transient increase in heart rate was reported following hyperpolarized xenon Xe 129 administration. XENOVIEW is not approved for use in pediatric patients less than 12 years of age.

Please see full prescribing information at www.XENOVIEW.net