ResMed launches sleep apnoea device in US

ResMed (ASX:RMD) has launched Narval CC, a medical device to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, in US.

The respiratory device company will provide Narval CC to US patients as an alternative to PAP therapy for snoring and more moderate cases of sleep apnoea.

ResMed acquired Narval CC through the purchase of its creator, Laboratories Narval, in 2009. The product is already available in the EU.

Narval CC is a designed to keep the user's lower jaw in a forward position, increasing space behind the tongue. This reduces the risk of obstruction of the airway, as well as the speed in which air is inhaled – thus alleviating snoring.

ResMed Americas president Michael Farrell said the launch will allow the company to fulfil the requirements of patients who refuse positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, the gold-standard treatment for sleep apnoea.

Because PAP therapy involves wearing a full face mask, patients sometimes decline the treatment because they find it uncomfortable, or suffer from claustrophobia or anxiety disorders.

“With the release of Narval CC, ResMed is now the only PAP company with a customised solution for non-compliant patients or patients who refuse PAP treatment,” Farrell said.

ResMed was founded in Australia but is now headquartered in California.

ResMed revealed in May that Peter Farrell, the company's founder and Michael Farrell's father, will be stepping down as CEO at the end of 2013. The board is currently hunting for a replacement.

A month earlier, the company reported a record US$64.6 million ($64.9 million) in March quarter profit, on the back of its sales in the Americas.

Resmed (ASX:RMD) shares were trading 1.24% lower at $3.190 as of around 2:30pm on Thursday.