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That is amazing, as doctors have to take a course to get certified in the use of Optune. This means that practically every major brain tumor center in the USA can offer Optune to their patients. There was a 70 percent increase in the survival rate at 4 years for newly diagnosed GBM patients, and Optune is now considered the standard of care for newly diagnosed gbms!
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Novocure has published the following News: 19 January 2017 Novocure’s Optune® Now Available at 500 Cancer Treatment Centers in the U.S.
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Globally, nearly 800 medical institutions can prescribe Optune to glioblastoma patients ST. HELIER, Jersey–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Physicians at 500 cancer treatment centers in the U.S. have been certified to prescribe Novocure’s (NASDAQ:NVCR) Optune® to newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) patients. Optune is Novocure’s wearable, portable, FDA-approved Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) delivery system. Physicians at an additional 291 medical institutions throughout the world also can prescribe Optune to GBM patients. In Novocure’s phase 3 pivotal EF-14 clinical trial, newly diagnosed GBM patients treated with Optune together with temozolomide demonstrated a significant increase in progression free and overall survival compared to patients treated with temozolomide alone. EF-14 patients treated with Optune together with temozolomide experienced a 70 percent improvement in survival rate at four years compared to patients treated with temozolomide alone. “By certifying more physicians throughout the U.S. and globally, we are making Optune more accessible for GBM patients who could benefit from treatment with TTFields,” said Peter Melnyk, Novocure’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We are proud to have met this milestone, and are committed to raising awareness of the therapy and making it readily available to the patients who need it.” About Novocure
Approved Indications In the United States, Optune with temozolomide is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed, supratentorial glioblastoma following maximal debulking surgery and completion of radiation therapy together with concomitant standard of care chemotherapy. In the United States, for the treatment of recurrent GBM, Optune is indicated following histologically-or radiologically-confirmed recurrence in the supratentorial region of the brain after receiving chemotherapy. The device is intended to be used as a monotherapy, and is intended as an alternative to standard medical therapy for GBM after surgical and radiation options have been exhausted. Important Safety Information Contraindications Do not use Optune if you have an active implanted medical device, a skull defect (such as, missing bone with no replacement), or bullet fragments. Use of Optune together with implanted electronic devices has not been tested and may theoretically lead to malfunctioning of the implanted device. Use of Optune together with skull defects or bullet fragments has not been tested and may possibly lead to tissue damage or render Optune ineffective. Do not use Optune if you are known to be sensitive to conductive hydrogels. In this case, skin contact with the gel used with Optune may commonly cause increased redness and itching, and rarely may even lead to severe allergic reactions such as shock and respiratory failure. Warnings and Precautions Use Optune only after receiving training from qualified personnel, such as your doctor, a nurse, or other medical personnel who have completed a training course given by Novocure (the device manufacturer). Do not use Optune if you are pregnant, you think you might be pregnant or are trying to get pregnant. It is not known if Optune is safe or effective in these populations. The most common (≥10%) adverse events involving Optune in combination with temozolomide were low blood platelet count, nausea, constipation, vomiting, fatigue, scalp irritation from device use, headache, convulsions, and depression. The most common (≥10%) adverse events seen when using Optune alone were scalp irritation from device use and headache. The following adverse reactions were considered related to Optune when using the device alone: scalp irritation from device use, headache, malaise, muscle twitching, fall and skin ulcer. All servicing procedures must be performed by qualified and trained personnel. Do not use any parts that do not come with the Optune Treatment Kit, or that were not sent to you by the device manufacturer or given to you by your doctor. Do not wet the device or transducer arrays. If you have an underlying serious skin condition on the scalp, discuss with your doctor whether this may prevent or temporarily interfere with Optune treatment. Please see http://www.optune.com/safety to see the Optune Instructions For Use (IFU) for complete information regarding the device’s indications, contraindications, warnings, and precautions. Forward-Looking Statements Media and Investor Contact |