Theralase Technologies Inc. V.TLT

Alternate Symbol(s): V.TLT.WT | TLTFF

Healthcare Medical Devices

Theralase Technologies Inc. is a Canada-based clinical-stage pharmaceutical company. The Company is engaged in the research and development of light activated compounds and their associated drug formulations. The Company operates through two divisions: Anti-Cancer Therapy (ACT) and Cool Laser Therapy (CLT). The Anti-Cancer Therapy division develops patented, and patent pending drugs, called Photo Dynamic Compounds (PDCs) and activates them with patent pending laser technology to destroy specifically targeted cancers, bacteria and viruses. The CLT division is responsible for the Company’s medical laser business. The Cool Laser Therapy division designs, develops, manufactures and markets super-pulsed laser technology indicated for the healing of chronic knee pain. The technology has been used off-label for healing numerous nerve, muscle and joint conditions. The Company develops products both internally and using the assistance of specialist external resources.

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Theralase Technologies Inc.

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Post by jojomarchon Jan 25, 2020 8:34pm

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Mesothelioma Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

Home » Mesothelioma Treatment Options » The Search for a Mesothelioma Cure » Mesothelioma Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

This burgeoning treatment for pleural mesothelioma uses light to kill deadly mesothelioma cells. Use of PDT can improve life expectancy with the benefit of fewer side effects.

Killing Mesothelioma Cells With Lasers

Photodynamic therapy is relatively new in the treatment of cancer, but it has been steadily developing into a viable treatment option. This treatment uses laser light to activate a drug that targets and kills mesothelioma cells. Photodynamic therapy has demonstrated positive results in patients with pleural mesothelioma, especially when used in combination with a lung-sparing pleurectomy.

Benefits of Photodynamic Therapy

Fewer Side Effects

This type of treatment is turning out to be a viable alternative to chemotherapy and radiation therapy with markedly fewer side effects.
Extending Life

Recent studies on the effects of photodynamic therapy have shown that it can significantly increase life expectancy. Used in combination with surgery or chemotherapy, PDT is even more effective.
Clinical Trials

Several clinical trials testing different modalities of the treatment are being conducted. Photodynamic therapy’s success will come from producing methods with fewer side effects and shorter light sensitivity time.

How Does Light Kill Mesothelioma?

Photodynamic therapy relies on the interaction of laser light and a light-sensitive drug known as a photosensitizer. The photosensitizer, administered via injection or IV, is activated when light is applied to the tumor area.

In photodynamic therapy, cells that have absorbed the photosensitizer react chemically with oxygen in the body when light is applied.

This chemical reaction coupled with the laser light effectively kills the cancer cells. Although healthy cells can be attacked in the process, PDT mostly affects mesothelioma cells because they tend to absorb more of the photosensitizer than healthy cells.

The laser light used to activate the photosensitizing drug is delivered via a thin fiber optic filament, which reflects the light to the tumor. The fiber optic filament is passed through an endoscope to reach the tumor site on the surface of the lungs.

Photosensitive Drugs for Mesothelioma

Patients receive the light-sensitive drug 1 to 3 days prior to the light therapy. Mesothelioma cells retain the drug longer than healthy cells allowing for fewer side effects at the time of light treatment. The timing of the light administration is important as tumor cells need time to absorb the photosensitizing drug.

Porfimer sodium, commonly known as Photofrin, is one of the primary drugs being used in photodynamic therapy for mesothelioma. The main benefit of Photofrin is that it has no effect in patients until it has been activated by light. This helps to reduce side effects.

Photofrin is the only FDA-approved photosensitizer for intravenous use, and since it is still in clinical trials, it has yet to be approved for mesothelioma. There are other photosensitizing drugs that are applied topically but are not used for internal cancers like mesothelioma.