Nordion, Manufacturer of TheraSphere®, to Host Educational Symposium at the 2013 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium
Agenda includes new HCC clinical data and an update on TheraSphere
Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ), a leading provider of products and
services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease,
announced today it is hosting an educational symposium titled “The
Expanding Role of Radioembolization for the Treatment of Hepatocellular
Carcinoma (HCC): Latest Information about Radioembolization, Yttrium-90
(Y-90) Glass Microspheres in HCC and an Update on Phase III Clinical
Trials.” The symposium, designed to educate referring physicians,
including Medical Oncologists, Hepatologists and Gastroenterologists, is
being held at this year’s 2013 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San
Francisco from January 24 – 26, 2013.
Three leading physicians will present the following information to
attendees:
-
“Y-90 Glass Microspheres in HCC - What do we Know?” by
Dr. Riad Salem, Interventional Oncologist, Northwestern University,
Chicago, Illinois. Dr Salem will provide an overview of clinical
utility of Y-90 glass microspheres including a review of the Phase III
clinical trial program for TheraSphere®.
-
“TheraSphere® vs. transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) Data
Analysis in Intermediate HCC – What did we learn?” by Dr.
Lewis Roberts, Gastroenterologist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester,
Minnesota. Dr. Roberts will present the results of a retrospective
analysis of TheraSphere® vs. TACE in patients
with unresectable HCC.
-
“Prospective Phase II Study on Intermediate and Advanced HCC –
Experience at Milan, Italy” by Dr. Sherrie Bhoori,
Hepatologist, Istituto Tumori, Milan, Italy. Dr. Bhoori will discuss
Istituto Tumori’s prospective Phase II data published in Hepatology
and how this study led to the development of the Phase III YES-P
trial.
About TheraSphere®
TheraSphere® is a liver
cancer therapy that consists of millions of small glass beads (20 to
30 micrometers in diameter) containing radioactive
Y-90. The product is injected by physicians into the artery of the
patient’s liver through a catheter, which allows the treatment to be
delivered directly to the tumour via blood flow.
In the US, TheraSphere® is used to treat patients with hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC) who can have appropriately positioned hepatic
arterial catheters, and can be used as a bridge to surgery or
transplantation in these patients. It is also indicated for the
treatment of HCC patients with partial or branch portal vein thrombosis
or occlusion when clinical evaluation warrants the treatment. TheraSphere®
is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under a
Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE). HDE approvals are based on
demonstrated safety and probable clinical benefit. However,
effectiveness of the indication for use has not been established.
TheraSphere® is used in the European Union and in Canada for
the treatment of hepatic neoplasia in patients who have appropriately
positioned arterial catheters.
Common side effects include mild to moderate fatigue, pain and nausea
for about a week. Physicians describe these symptoms as similar to those
of the flu. Some patients experience some loss of appetite and temporary
changes in several blood tests. For details on rare or more severe side
effects, please refer to the TheraSphere® package
insert/instructions for use at www.nordion.com/therasphere.
About Nordion Inc.
Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ) is a global health science company
that provides market-leading products used for the prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of disease. We are a leading provider of targeted
therapies, sterilization
technologies and medical
isotopes that benefit the lives of millions of people in more than
60 countries around the world. Our products are used daily by
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical-device
manufacturers, hospitals, clinics and research laboratories. Nordion has
approximately 500 highly skilled employees worldwide. Find out more at www.nordion.com
and follow us at http://twitter.com/NordionInc.