RICHLAND, WA--(Marketwired - Jan 13, 2015) - IsoRay Inc. (NYSE MKT: ISR), a medical technology company and innovator in brachytherapy and medical isotope applications, today announced that Urologist Alexander Zyryanov M.D. Ph.D. and Radiation Oncologist Vasilii Oschepkov M.D. Ph.D. performed the first cases of Cesium-131 implantation for the treatment of prostate cancer on the European continent.
The prostate cancer treatments took place at Neftyanik Hospital in the city of Tyumen, Russian Federation. The Neftyanik Hospital is a rapidly evolving, multi-specialty facility developing cutting-edge programs for cancer treatment, transplantation medicine and the treatment of neurological disease, among other medical necessities.
IsoRay Chairman and CEO Dwight Babcock commented, "Convincing data continue to accrue in the United States from multiple centers describing the outstanding performance of cesium-131 brachytherapy in cancer treatment. We feel that this data will spur interest from physicians inside and outside the U.S. who feel strongly about offering highly effective, low impact cancer treatment to their patients. We are honored to have been asked to participate in this major launch as medical leaders strive to provide the Russian people with the newest advancements in cancer care."
He continued: "MedikorPharma-Ural LLC, our Russian distributor, has done an outstanding job in paving the way for us into the treatment of prostate cancer in Russia. We are looking forward to branching out and offering our other treatments -- including those for brain, lung and gynecologic cancers -- in Russia."
Dr. Ivan Popov, CEO of the Neftyanik Hospital, made clear that the availability of Cesium-131 in the Russian Federation offered real hope to Russian patients. "We plan to make our facility the prominent cancer treatment facility in the region," he said. "The advantages of Cesium-131 therapy will assist us in reaching our objective."
Dozens of health professionals witnessed the first two implants in an auditorium via closed circuit video feed from a state-of-the art surgical suite equipped with the latest ultrasound and planning technology.
Dr. Zyryanov, an accomplished urologic surgeon and principal in the American Russian Cancer Alliance (ARCA), stated that "Cesium-131 has been shown to represent a real advancement in the treatment of prostate cancer. We feel that providing Cesium-131 therapy to our prostate cancer patients represents a significant advancement in cancer care, especially where high risk prostate cancer is concerned."
Dr. Oschepkov added, "Results reported from the U.S. studies offer strong evidence that Cesium-131 brachytherapy specialty provides a novel and highly effective treatment for prostate, lung and brain cancers. We plan to explore these exciting new options in the Russian Federation.
IsoRay is the exclusive manufacturer of Cesium-131. The pioneering brachytherapy therapy is one of the most significant advances in internal radiation therapy in 20 years. Cesium-131 allows for the precise treatment of many different cancers because of its unrivaled blend of high energy and its 9.7 day half-life (its unequaled speed in giving off therapeutic radiation).
In addition to its CMS codes, Cesium-131 is FDA-cleared and holds a CE mark for international sales in seed form for the treatment of brain cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, ocular melanoma cancer, colorectal cancer, gynecologic cancer, head and neck cancer and other cancers throughout the body. The treatment can be deployed using several delivery methods including single seed applicators, implantable strands and seed sutured mesh. IsoRay also sells several new implantable devices, including the GliaSite® radiation therapy system.
About IsoRay
IsoRay, Inc., through its subsidiary, IsoRay Medical, Inc. is the sole producer of Cesium-131 brachytherapy seeds, which are expanding brachytherapy options throughout the body. Learn more about this innovative Richland, Washington company and explore the many benefits and uses of GliaSite® and Cesium-131 by visiting www.isoray.com. Join us on Facebook/Isoray. Follow us on Twitter @Isoray.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this news release about IsoRay's future expectations, including: the advantages of our products and their delivery systems, whether IsoRay will be able to continue to expand its base beyond prostate cancer, whether sales of our products will continue at historic levels or increase, whether the use of our products will increase or continue, whether we continue to sell prostate treatment applications, other applications or increase our sales in Russia, whether we will continue to receive support from industry leaders, whether awareness of our products in the medical community will continue or increase, whether future studies of treatment of various cancers using our products will have favorable results, and all other statements in this release, other than historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ("PSLRA"). This statement is included for the express purpose of availing IsoRay, Inc. of the protections of the safe harbor provisions of the PSLRA. It is important to note that actual results and ultimate corporate actions could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements based on such factors as physician acceptance, training and use of our products, our ability to successfully manufacture, market and sell our products, our ability to manufacture our products in sufficient quantities to meet demand within required delivery time periods while meeting our quality control standards, our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights, whether additional studies are released and support the conclusions of past studies, whether ongoing patient results with our products are favorable and in line with the conclusions of clinical studies and initial patient results, patient results achieved when our products are used for the treatment of cancers and malignant diseases beyond prostate, successful completion of future research and development activities, whether we, our distributors and our customers will successfully obtain and maintain all required regulatory approvals and licenses to market, sell and use our products in its various forms, continued compliance with ISO standards as audited by BSI, the success of our sales and marketing efforts, changes in reimbursement rates, changes in laws and regulations applicable to our products, and other risks detailed from time to time in IsoRay's reports filed with the SEC.