First International Brain Cancer Treatments Performed Utilizing IsoRay, Inc.'s GliaSite Radiation Therapy System
RICHLAND, WA--(Marketwire - February 21, 2013) - IsoRay, Inc. (http://www.isoray.com/) (NYSE MKT: ISR), a medical technology company and innovator in seed brachytherapy and medical radioisotope applications, today announced the first international implementation of IsoRay's exclusive GliaSite Radiation Therapy System (balloon catheter) at the University Hospital of Rostock, Germany.
Professor Juergen Piek, Chairman of the Neurosurgical Department, placed the catheters following the brain tumor resection procedure. Dr. Monique Sakretz was the nuclear doctor responsible for the liquid I-125 balloon after load of radioactive material.
Brain cancer presents unique treatment challenges. Brain tumors are very often difficult to remove completely because of the need to avoid damaging the brain. Further, tumors tend to spread to healthy parts of the brain. Typically, surgeons remove as much as they can of the tumor and then treat the areas surrounding where the tumor was removed with radiation therapy. They sometimes use chemotherapy as well. However, most cancerous brain tumors reoccur shortly following removal, and the cancer tends to return near the site of the original tumor. Brain cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers and recurrence often proves fatal.
A metastatic, or secondary, brain tumor is one that begins as cancer in another part of the body. Some of the cancer cells may be carried to the brain by the blood or lymphatic fluid, or may spread from adjacent tissue.
Metastatic brain tumors are often referred to as lesions or brain metastases. Metastatic brain tumors are the most common brain tumors.
The GliaSite system offers a number of advantages in glioblastoma and metastatic brain cancer treatment. It places a specified high dose of a liquid radiation source in the areas most likely to contain cancer after brain tumor removal and is less likely to damage healthy brain tissue than other treatments. It helps reduce the ability for the tumor to reoccur, which in turn impacts patient longevity and quality of life.
IsoRay CEO Dwight Babcock says this marks a milestone in launching IsoRay's products into the international marketplace, supporting management's goal to increase revenues and shareholder value while improving the quality of life for the patient. "Our hope is to promote awareness that our product line, including both Cesium-131 brachytherapy seeds and GliaSite RTS utilizing liquid isotopes, can take on difficult cancers throughout the body. We are advancing our ultimate domestic and international goal of making GliaSite RTS in particular for brain cancer and in general Cesium-131 a standard of care for the treatment of multiple cancers. We are extremely pleased with the exceptional results a growing number of thought leaders and major medical centers are experiencing throughout the U.S. and internationally as Cesium-131 receives more widespread adoption. We believe Cesium-131's ability to fight cancer and improve the quality of life for the men, women, and children who are battling these devastating cancers distinguishes it from other treatment options."
IsoRay is the exclusive manufacturer of Cesium-131 and the GliaSite Radiation Therapy System. IsoRay's evolving product line is advancing brachytherapy treatments throughout the body giving new hope to physicians and patients. 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). The GliaSite balloon catheter brings targeted dose to the local area needing radiation while limiting damage to healthy brain cells.
In addition to its CMS codes, Cesium-131 and GliaSite utilizing liquid I-125 are FDA-cleared and have CE marks for international sales. Cesium-131 is currently sold in seed form for the treatment of brain cancer, prostate cancer (http://www.isoray.com/prostate_cancer_treatment.asp), lung cancer, ocular melanoma cancer (http://www.isoray.com/ocular_cancer_treatment.asp), colorectal cancer, gynecologic cancer (http://www.isoray.com/gyn_cancer_treatment.asp), head and neck cancer (http://www.isoray.com/) 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, and several new implantable devices.
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 Cesium-131 by visiting www.isoray.com. Join us on Facebook/Isoray (http://www.facebook.com/#/IsoRay). Follow us on Twitter @Isoray (https://twitter.com/#!/Isoray).
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this news release about IsoRay's future expectations, including: the advantages of our Cesium-131 seed, the advantages of the GliaSite Radiation Therapy System, whether adoption of Cesium-131 will continue to increase, whether IsoRay will be able to continue to expand its base beyond prostate cancer, whether revenue and other financial metrics will improve in future periods, whether Cesium-131 will become a standard of care for any cancer treatment, 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 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 Cesium-131 is used for the treatment of cancers and malignant diseases beyond prostate, 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, successful completion of future research and development activities, and other risks detailed from time to time in IsoRay's reports filed with the SEC.