MDS Nordion Establishes European Centers of Excellence for Innovative Liver Cancer Therapy
08 Febbraio 2007 - 2:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
TheraSphere(R) expands treatment options for advanced tumors in
patients OTTAWA, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MDS Nordion, a
leading global provider of medical isotopes and
radiopharmaceuticals used to diagnose and treat disease, has
established four Centers of Excellence in Europe for
TheraSphere(R), its innovative liver cancer treatment. The Centers,
located in Spain, France, Germany, and Italy will serve to train
and educate oncology professionals on the use of the innovative
technique. The Centres of Excellence are: BCLC Group Hospital
Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Centre Eugene Marquis, Rennes, France;
University-Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany; and University of Pisa,
Pisa, Italy. TheraSphere(R) received the CE mark of approval for
distribution and use in Europe in June 2006. TheraSphere(R) is a
therapeutic medical device used in Europe for the treatment of
liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most
common form of primary liver cancer; or secondary liver cancer that
has migrated to the liver from another location. Comprised of tiny
glass beads, TheraSphere(R) is injected by a physician into the
main artery of the patient's liver using a catheter. The beads
become lodged in the small blood vessels that feed the tumour and
deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation directly to the cancer
while minimizing impact on the patient's healthy tissue. "Primary
liver cancer can be difficult to treat as it is frequently
accompanied by poor liver function resulting from other conditions
such as hepatitis or cirrhosis. TheraSphere(R) is an option that is
especially ideal for patients where surgery or transplantation is
not possible," said Dr. Jordi Bruix, Director, BCLC Group Hospital
Clinic in Spain. "In this age of targeted therapies, TheraSphere(R)
allows us to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation directly to
the cancerous tumour while minimizing the impact on a patient's
healthy tissue," said Dr. Jean-Luc Raoul, Oncology Professor,
Medical Oncology Department, Centre Eugene Marquis in France.
According to the National Cancer Institute, HCC is the fourth most
common cancer in the world. Chronic hepatitis B and C and cirrhosis
are known risk factors that increase the risk of HCC. Rates of HCC
are higher in Europe than in North America. In North America the
incident rate of liver cancer is about 2.1 per 100,000 people. In
northern Europe the rate is approximately 5 per 100,000 population,
while in southern Europe the rate ranges from 5-20 cases per
100,000 population. "TheraSphere(R) complements and expands the
treatment options for patients with primary liver cancer,
particularly those with advanced tumors that were previously
untreatable," said Dr. Philip Hilgard, Assistant Professor of
Medicine with the University-Hospital Essen in Germany. "The
Centres of Excellence will greatly assist in increasing the
awareness and understanding of the use and benefits of
TheraSphere(R) among cancer treatment professionals in Europe,"
said Professor Riccardo Lencioni, Radiologist with the University
of Pisa in Italy. "The development of TheraSphere(R) Centers of
Excellence is a significant step toward making this innovative
cancer therapy more widely available to a greater number of
patients in Europe," said Steve West, President of MDS Nordion. "We
are excited to work with these prestigious institutions to gain
valuable insight into the benefits of TheraSphere(R) for treating
both primary and secondary liver cancer." In September 2006, MDS
Nordion announced it had received approval from the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration to begin clinical trials on patients with
secondary liver cancer. TheraSphere(R) has also been approved by
the FDA for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
(HCC), who have partial or branch portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and
who have been identified as suitable candidates by their
physicians. This expanded use extends the current approval of
TheraSphere(R) as a Humanitarian Use Device for the treatment of
HCC. In addition, MDS Nordion recently announced the first-time use
of TheraSphere(R) at sites in India. About TheraSphere(R)
TheraSphere(R) is a low toxicity, liver cancer therapy which
consists of millions of micro-glass beads containing radioactive
yttrium-90. The product is injected by physicians into the main
artery of the patient's liver through a catheter which allows the
treatment to be delivered directly to the tumor via blood vessels.
Unlike chemotherapy, it has few side effects. Patients rarely
experience nausea and vomiting usually associated with high-dose,
systemic chemotherapies. TheraSphere(R) is approved in Europe for
the treatment of primary and secondary liver cancer. In the United
States, the TheraSphere(R) treatment can generally be administered
on an outpatient basis, does not usually require an overnight
hospital stay and is 100% reimbursed by Medicare and many
commercial health insurers. TheraSphere(R), is approved in the U.S.
as a Humanitarian Device for the treatment of hepatocellular
carcinoma, also referred to as primary liver cancer, and is now
approved for patients who also have partial or branch portal vein
thrombosis and who are identified as suitable candidates by their
physicians. For more information on TheraSphere(R) go to
http://www.therasphere.com/ or visit us at EASL 2007, April 11-15,
2007 in Barcelona, Spain, Booth # 2122. About MDS Nordion MDS
Nordion (http://www.mds.nordion.com/) is a world leader in medical
isotopes, radiation and related technologies. It is a division of
MDS Inc. (TSX:MDS)(NYSE:MDZ). MDS Inc. is a global life sciences
company that provides market-leading products and services that our
customers need for the development of drugs and diagnosis and
treatment of disease. We are a leading global provider of
pharmaceutical contract research, medical isotopes for molecular
imaging, radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has
more than 8,800 highly skilled people in 28 countries. Find out
more at http://www.mdsinc.com/ or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24
hours a day. DATASOURCE: MDS Nordion CONTACT: Media Inquiries,
Olivia Nixon, MDS Nordion, (613) 592-2790 ext. 2558, (613) 724-1767
(Mobile), ; Investor Inquiries, Sharon Mathers, Vice-President,
Investor Relations and External Communications, (416) 675-6777 ext.
34721,
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