BrachySil in Pancreatic Cancer Study Results to be presented at the ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium
Boston, MA and Perth, Australia (January 23, 2008) – pSivida Limited (NASDAQ: PSDV, ASX: PSD, FF: PSI), a global drug delivery company, today announced that the final results of the recently completed Phase IIa Study of BrachySilTM for the treatment of inoperable pancreatic cancer will be presented at the ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in Orlando, Florida from January 25-27, 2008.
The paper will be delivered by Dr Paul Ross, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, a major centre for cancer therapy in the UK, one of the three centres in the UK and Singapore where the Study took place. A total of 17 patients were treated with BrachySilTM delivered directly to a tumor in the pancreas via endoscopic ultrasound (used to assist in locating the delivery point), in combination with standard chemotherapy.
BrachySilTM is a novel oncology product which consists of a combination of BioSiliconTM and the isotope 32-Phosphorus, a proven anti-cancer therapeutic, and is intended to be used in conjunction with standard chemotherapy for enhanced tumor response and improved patient outcome. BrachySilTM is designed to be a targeted and localized product and could potentially provide oncologists with an effective and user-friendly treatment for this disease which has a high unmet clinical need.
Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest cancer survival rates (five year relative survival rate of approximately 5%) with 85-90% of patients being diagnosed with the inoperable form of the disease. There is significant clinical and market demand for effective therapies to treat this aggressive form of cancer which is the fourth leading cause of death by cancer in the United States.
Released by:
pSivida Limited
Brian Leedman
Vice President, Investor Relations
pSivida Limited
Tel: +61 8 9226 5099
brianl@psivida.com
US Public Relations
Beverly Jedynak
President
Martin E. Janis & Company, Inc
Tel: +1 (312) 943 1100 ext. 12
bjedynak@janispr.com
European Public Relations
Eva Reuter
Accent Marketing Limited
Tel: +49 (254) 393 0740
e.reuter@dr-reuter.eu
NOTES TO EDITORS:
pSivida is a global drug delivery company committed to the biomedical sector and the development of drug delivery products. Retisert® is FDA approved for the treatment of uveitis. Vitrasert® is FDA approved for the treatment of AIDS-related CMV Retinitis. Bausch & Lomb owns the trademarks Vitrasert® and Retisert®. pSivida has licensed the technologies underlying both of these products to Bausch & Lomb. The technology underlying Medidur™ for diabetic macular edema is licensed to Alimera Sciences and is in Phase III clinical trials. pSivida has a worldwide collaborative research and license agreement with Pfizer Inc. for other ophthalmic applications of the Medidur™ technology.
pSivida owns the rights to develop and commercialize a modified form of silicon (porosified or nano-structured silicon) known as BioSilicon™, which has applications in drug delivery, wound healing, orthopedics, and tissue engineering. The most advanced BioSilicon™ product, BrachySil™ delivers a therapeutic, P32 directly to solid tumors and is presently in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
pSivida’s intellectual property portfolio consists of 70 patent families, 105 granted patents, including patents accepted for issuance, and over 300 patent applications. pSivida conducts its operations from facilities near Boston in the United States, Malvern in the United Kingdom and Perth in Australia.
pSivida is listed on NASDAQ (PSDV), the Australian Stock Exchange (PSD) and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on the XETRA system (PSI). pSivida is a founding member of the NASDAQ Health Care Index and the Merrill Lynch Nanotechnology Index.
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