Frost & Sullivan Recognizes I-Flow with the 2006 Product Innovation Award for its Radical Product, ON-Q PainBuster

LAKE FOREST, Calif., Mar 16, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- I-Flow Corporation (NASDAQ:IFLO) announced today that the Company received the prestigious Frost & Sullivan's 2006 Post-Surgical Pain Management Product Innovation of the Year Award in recognition of its revolutionary ON-Q PainBuster. Redefining surgical recovery, I-Flow's ON-Q PainBuster is rapidly gaining acceptance in the U.S. post-surgical pain relief market by helping patients to recover faster.

The Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Innovation of the Year is presented each year to the company that has demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within their industry. The recipient company has shown innovation by launching a broad line of emerging products and technologies.

Unlike many of the patient-controlled pumps on the market that allow patients to administer their own narcotics, the ON-Q PainBuster automatically controls the release of a local anesthetic. ON-Q PainBuster is a balloon filled with a numbing medicine that automatically dispenses this non-narcotic pain medication directly to an incision site. ON-Q is actually labeled as providing significantly better pain relief after surgery than narcotics alone, and ON-Q patients typically require significantly less narcotics to treat their pain.

The pump can be worn inside or outside clothing and removed after the infusion is complete. I-Flow's ON-Q PainBuster allows patients to recover without many of the side effects of narcotics, today's standard of care, thus reducing costs to hospitals for post-surgical recovery.

In December of 2005, the company received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its silver-coated antimicrobial catheter, the ON-Q SilverSoaker. This catheter is treated with the AcryMed's SilvaGard, a silver nanoparticle antimicrobial coating.

"Clinical results have shown the antimicrobial agent adds a layer of protection against the formation of infection-causing biofilm by destroying microorganisms that emerge on the surface of the catheter," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Sheila Ewing. "When combined with the ON-Q Soaker technology, the ON-Q PainBuster can effectively deliver medication over a range of surgical incisions."

To make the ON-Q more accessible for larger-incisions, I-Flow recently launched a tunneling kit for placement of the ON-Q Soaker Catheter. As I-Flow introduces new products and gathers support from clinical research, the company pushes to replace narcotics as the standard of care for treating post-surgical pain.

"New contracts with managed care companies provide reimbursement for ON-Q in many of the nationwide ambulatory surgery centers," notes Ewing. "Through these key strategic initiatives, I-Flow has experienced significant growth for its regional anesthesia products."

Through the third quarter of 2005, sales of the company's regional anesthesia products increased 64 percent over the same period in 2004. I-Flow's business strategy, including a direct sales force in the U.S., will accelerate adoption, creating long-term growth.

About I-Flow Corporation

I-Flow Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, and markets technically advanced, low-cost ambulatory drug delivery systems that seek to redefine the standard of care by providing life enhancing, cost effective solutions for pain management and infusion therapy. The company's products are used in hospitals and other settings, including free-standing surgery centers and physicians' offices.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit www.frost.com.

SOURCE: I-Flow Corporation