LONDON, December 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
BTG plc (LSE: BTG), a global specialist healthcare company,
today announced that following positive results of its 15-year
experience between 2003 and 2017 with TheraSphere®,
Northwestern University, Illinois has adopted Y90 transarterial radioembolisation (TARE) with
TheraSphere® as the primary trans-arterial loco-regional
therapy (LRT) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
limited to the liver.[1]
(Logo:
http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/513730/BTG_Logo.jpg )
HCC is considered to be the most common primary liver cancer and
represents the second most common cause of cancer mortality
worldwide.[2] Northwestern University's decision to adopt TARE
with TheraSphere® as a first-line transarterial LRT for
patients with HCC was informed by data prospectively collected and
incrementally reported, demonstrating outcomes as expected by the
BCLC algorithm for stages A-D, applied as either neoadjuvant or
definitive treatment. Compared with TACE, the data confirm that
outpatient TARE allows for fewer treatments, better quality of
life, longer time to progression and versatile application as
neoadjuvant LRT combined with either resection or orthotopic liver
transplantation.[1]
"Patients are looking for treatments that are safe, efficacious,
have minimal detrimental effects on their quality of life and as
pain free as possible," said Dr Riad
Salem, Chief, Section of Vascular & Interventional
Radiology, Department of Radiology at Northwestern University and lead author of the
paper "Institutional Decision to Adopt Y90 as Primary Treatment for HCC Informed by a
1,000-patient 15-year Experience" recently accepted for publication
in Hepatology.[1] "The benefit of
Y90 TARE with TheraSphere®
is that it meets all of these patient needs, and also enables
patients to be treated as outpatients, permitting discharge on the
same day, reducing the need for lengthy hospitalisations and
minimising impact on daily life. We recognise the many approaches
to establishing a new standard of care. In our case, we are proud
of the controlled, prospective studies we completed over the last
decade, each addressing a specific question, and each getting us
closer to the unanimous, multidisciplinary adoption of Y90 as first-line. We are hopeful that when
colleagues and peers review the study, the long-term survival
outcomes, our rationale and the strength of the evidence, many will
follow suit."
Peter Pattison, BTG General
Manager Interventional Oncology, commented, "We are delighted that
Northwestern University Hospital has
chosen to adopt Y90 TARE with
TheraSphere® as the first line trans-arterial LRT for
patients with HCC. This first publication featuring over 1000 HCC
patients treated with TheraSphere® represents a major
milestone and we are proud to partner with healthcare professionals
to deliver improved treatment options for patients."
Since TARE Y90 was FDA approved in
1999 and made available for clinical use in early 2000, radiation
therapy has become widely available as an effective option to treat
HCC.[2] Treatment with
Y90 TARE infuses
TheraSphere® Y90 glass
microspheres into the arteries that feed liver tumours. The
microspheres deliver a targeted radiation dose to the tumour,
minimising exposure to healthy tissue and can be adapted for each
patient, allowing for a personalised treatment approach.
About BTG Interventional Oncology
BTG Interventional Oncology is transforming the way cancer is
treated with wide-ranging solutions consisting of
minimally-invasive, highly targeted therapies that can be
personalised to each patient's needs. Our products are used to
treat or provide symptomatic relief for people with cancer and
benign tumors. To learn more about BTG Interventional
Oncology, please follow @BTGIO on twitter or visit:
https://www.btg-im.com.
About TheraSphere®
TheraSphere® Y90 glass
microspheres are specifically engineered to carry far greater power
than any other Y90 liver-directed
cancer therapy, delivering high doses of radiation to liver tumours
while sparing normal tissue. The result is a powerful, targeted and
well-tolerated therapy that may lead to patients becoming eligible
for curative therapies. In the EU, Singapore, South
Korea and Canada,
TheraSphere® is approved for the treatment of hepatic
neoplasia. In the US, TheraSphere® is approved under a
Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) for use in radiation treatment
or as a neoadjuvant to surgery or transplantation in patients with
unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who can have placement
of appropriately positioned hepatic arterial catheters. The device
is also indicated for HCC patients with partial or branch portal
vein thrombosis/occlusion, when clinical evaluation warrants the
treatment. The effectiveness of this device for this use has not
been demonstrated.
For full instructions for use and important safety information,
please visit http://www.therasphere.com. For further information
contact:
BTG plc
Chris Sampson, Corporate Communications Director
+44-20-7575-1595; Mobile: +44-7773-251-178
Media Liaison
Jonathan Falcone
+44-20-8618-2752; Mobile: +44-7825-238-898
References:
[1] Salem R et al. Hepatology 2017; Accepted
for publication
[2] Tanguturi S K et al. The Oncologist 2014;
http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/19/8/868.full Last
accessed 6 December 2017
SOURCE BTG plc