OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.