ST. HELIER, Jersey--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Novocure (NASDAQ: NVCR) today announced that over 100 physicians from more than 50 cancer treatment centers in the U.S. are now certified to prescribe Optune Lua, which is approved for the first-line treatment of unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), in combination with pemetrexed and platinum-based chemotherapy.
“This is a disease with a poor prognosis, so being able to offer patients a therapy that results in excellent response rates with minimal toxicity is exciting,” said Matthew T. Ballo, M.D., FACR, Professor and Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, West Cancer Center & Research Institute in Germantown, Tennessee. “We as clinicians can have a big impact on our patients’ lives by making them aware of this important new technology.”
“We are proud of the progress we have made in the last year in making Optune Lua accessible to patients,” said Pritesh Shah, Novocure’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We continue to work diligently to expand the number of centers that can provide Tumor Treating Fields therapy to patients facing this devastating and aggressive disease.”
Of the more than 50 certified centers, 28 are now offering Optune Lua to MPM patients. The remaining centers are in the process of completing all regulatory requirements.
For a complete list of centers where Optune can be prescribed, please visit .
About Optune Lua
Optune Lua is a noninvasive, antimitotic cancer treatment for MPM. Optune Lua delivers Tumor Treating Fields to the region of the tumor.
Tumor Treating Fields is a cancer therapy that uses electric fields tuned to specific frequencies to disrupt cell division, inhibiting tumor growth and causing affected cancer cells to die. Tumor Treating Fields does not stimulate or heat tissue and targets dividing cancer cells of a specific size. Tumor Treating Fields causes minimal damage to healthy cells. Mild to moderate skin irritation is the most common side effect reported. Tumor Treating Fields is approved in certain countries for the treatment of adults with glioblastoma and in the U.S. for mesothelioma, two of the most difficult cancer types to treat. The therapy shows promise in multiple solid tumor types – including some of the most aggressive forms of cancer.
Caution: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician. Humanitarian Device. Authorized by Federal Law for use in the treatment of adult patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, malignant pleural mesothelioma concurrently with pemetrexed and platinum-based chemotherapy. The effectiveness of this device for this use has not been demonstrated.
Approved Indications
Optune Lua is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) to be used concurrently with pemetrexed and platinum-based chemotherapy.
Important Safety Information
Contraindications
Do not use Optune Lua in patients with implantable electronic medical devices such as pacemakers or implantable automatic defibrillators, etc. Use of Optune Lua together with implanted electronic devices has not been tested and may lead to malfunctioning of the implanted device.
Do not use Optune Lua in patients known to be sensitive to conductive hydrogels. Skin contact with the gel used with Optune Lua may commonly cause increased redness and itching, and may rarely lead to severe allergic reactions such as shock and respiratory failure.
Warnings and Precautions
Optune Lua can only be prescribed by a healthcare provider that has completed the required certification training provided by Novocure®.
The most common (≥10%) adverse events involving Optune Lua in combination with chemotherapy were anemia, constipation, nausea, asthenia, chest pain, fatigue, medical device site reaction, pruritus, and cough.
Other potential adverse effects associated with the use of Optune Lua include: treatment related skin toxicity, allergic reaction to the plaster or to the gel, electrode overheating leading to pain and/or local skin burns, infections at sites of electrode contact with the skin, local warmth and tingling sensation beneath the electrodes, muscle twitching, medical device site reaction and skin breakdown/skin ulcer.
If the patient has an underlying serious skin condition on the treated area, evaluate whether this may prevent or temporarily interfere with Optune Lua treatment.
Do not prescribe Optune Lua for patients that are pregnant, you think might be pregnant or are trying to get pregnant, as the safety and effectiveness of Optune Lua in these populations have not been established.
Please visit to see Optune Lua Instructions For Use (IFU) for complete information regarding the device’s indications, contraindications, warnings, and precautions.
About Novocure
Novocure is a global oncology company working to extend survival in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer through the development and commercialization of its innovative therapy, Tumor Treating Fields. Tumor Treating Fields is a cancer therapy that uses electric fields tuned to specific frequencies to disrupt solid tumor cancer cell division. Novocure’s commercialized products are approved in certain countries for the treatment of adult patients with glioblastoma and in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Novocure has ongoing or completed clinical trials investigating Tumor Treating Fields in brain metastases, non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, liver cancer and gastric cancer.
Headquartered in Jersey, Novocure has U.S. operations in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Malvern, Pennsylvania and New York City. Additionally, the company has offices in Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Israel. For additional information about the company, please visit or follow us at .
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical facts or statements of current condition, this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide Novocure’s current expectations or forecasts of future events. These may include statements regarding anticipated scientific progress on its research programs, clinical trial progress, development of potential products, interpretation of clinical results, prospects for regulatory approval, manufacturing development and capabilities, market prospects for its products, coverage, collections from third-party payers and other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts. You may identify some of these forward-looking statements by the use of words in the statements such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe” or other words and terms of similar meaning. Novocure’s performance and financial results could differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements due to general financial, economic, regulatory and political conditions as well as more specific risks and uncertainties facing Novocure such as those set forth in its Report on Form 10-K filed on February 27, 2020, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, any or all of these forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore, you should not rely on any such factors or forward-looking statements. Furthermore, Novocure does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Any forward-looking statements herein speak only as of the date hereof. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits this discussion.
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