Photocure: New data presented at EAU 2023 highlight the effects of blue light cystoscopy in bladder cancer

OSLO, Norway, March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Photocure ASA (OSE: PHO), the Bladder Cancer Company, announces its participation in the congress, and two abstract presentations at the European Association of Urology congress (EAU) in Milan, Italy, highlighting the benefits of Blue Light Cystoscopy (BLC^®) in Bladder Cancer management.

The EAU annual meeting is one of the largest international meetings in the urology calendar, showcasing the latest and most relevant knowledge in this area of patient care. This year's event was held on March 10 -13, 2023 and attracted urologists from all over the world. In addition to an active presence & support for the event, Photocure will also be making bladder cancer session highlights available post event by means of video interviews with the presenters of these sessions. This initiative is supported by two of the leading names in Bladder Cancer in Europe, Prof. M. Rouprêt, APHP, Sorbonne University Paris, France and Prof. P. Gontero, Division of Urology, University of Studies of Torino, Italy.

In addition to this activity, two abstract presentations were presented as part of the EAU scientific program that feature the blue light cystoscopy procedure:

Immunological changes following blue light cystoscopy with hexaminolevulinate in bladder cancer (A0431 - Sunday 10:45)

The project conducted at Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, presents results from a pilot study of bladder cancer patients, showing that blue light cystoscopy with Hexaminolevulinate (HAL) during TURBT* may influence the immune cell composition and tumor microenvironment. Preliminary findings suggest that BLC-guided TURBT changes the expression of immune cells of both the adaptive and innate immune system compared to WLC-guided TURBT. Further studies are required to validate the clinical impact of these observations. 

Read the abstract: https://resource-centre.uroweb.org/resource-centre/EAU23/248125/Abstract

Blue Light Cystoscopy Delays Time to Recurrence in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients Treated in a Real-World Setting (A0710 – Sunday 15:45)

Real-world data taken from the Blue Light Cystoscopy with Cysview^® Registry (Clinicaltrials.gov; NCT02660645), the largest non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer registry in the U.S., showed that use of BLC significantly decreased the risk of recurrence and prolonged time to recurrence compared to White Light alone (HR 0.33; 95% 95% CI 0.2-0.40, p<0.0001). Additionally, BLC in patients with primary tumors extended time to recurrence compared to recurrent patients (HR 1.12; 95% CI 0.89-1.41, p<0.001), suggesting that the earlier use of BLC might have more favorable long-term outcomes in a real-world setting.  

Read the abstract: https://resource-centre.uroweb.org/resource-centre/EAU23/245863/Abstract

"These new study results continue to emphasize the importance of performing a thorough TURBT using Blue Light Cystoscopy in the treatment of bladder cancer, and also demonstrate the strong interest from the scientific community to investigate Hexvix^®/Cysview's potential immunologic effects in bladder cancer management. BLC has been shown to clinically increase TURBT quality, more accurately stage disease for treatment, and enable better recurrence monitoring, supporting the long-term utility to help improve the lives of patients with bladder cancer," said Dan Schneider, President and CEO of Photocure.  

"As we continue to broaden the awareness of BLC with Hexvix throughout Europe, it is a privilege to participate in the EAU congress, and to see so much engagement from the scientific community and urologists alike. The expanding number of scientific sessions featuring Blue Light is impressive this year. It empowers us on our journey to bring this important product and procedure to even more new users in Europe" added Susanne Strauss, Vice President and General Manager Europe. 

*TURBT: trans-urethral resection of bladder tumors

Hexvix^®/Cysview^® and BLC^® are registered trademarks of Photocure ASA.

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About Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer ranks as the 8^th most common cancer worldwide – the 5^th most common in men – with 1 720 000 prevalent cases (5-year prevalence rate)^1a, 573 000 new cases and more than 200 000 deaths annually in 2020.^1b

Approx. 75% of all bladder cancer cases occur in men.¹ It has a high recurrence rate, with up to 61% in year one and up to 78% over five years.² Bladder cancer has the highest lifetime treatment costs per patient of all cancers.³

Bladder cancer is a costly, potentially progressive disease for which patients have to undergo multiple cystoscopies due to the high risk of recurrence. There is an urgent need to improve both the diagnosis and the management of bladder cancer for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems alike. 

Bladder cancer is classified into two types, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), depending on the depth of invasion in the bladder wall. NMIBC remains in the inner layer of cells lining the bladder. These cancers are the most common (75%) of all cases and include the subtypes Ta, carcinoma in situ (CIS), and T1 lesions. In MIBC, the cancer has grown into deeper layers of the bladder wall. These cancers, including subtypes T2, T3, and T4, are more likely to spread and are harder to treat.⁴

¹ Globocan. a) 5-year prevalence / b) incidence/mortality by population.  Available at: https://gco.iarc.fr/today, accessed [January 2022].
² Babjuk M, et al. Eur Urol. 2019; 76(5): 639-657
³ Sievert KD et al. World J Urol 2009;27:295–300
⁴ Bladder Cancer. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bladder-cancer.html 

About Hexvix^®/Cysview^® (hexaminolevulinate HCl)

Hexvix/Cysview is a drug that preferentially accumulates in cancer cells in the bladder, making them glow bright pink during Blue Light Cystoscopy (BLC^®). BLC with Hexvix/Cysview, compared to standard white light cystoscopy alone, improves the detection of tumors and leads to more complete resection, fewer residual tumors, and better management decisions.

Cysview is the tradename in the U.S. and Canada, Hexvix is the tradename in all other markets. Photocure is commercializing Cysview/Hexvix directly in the U.S. and Europe and has strategic partnerships for the commercialization of Hexvix/Cysview in China, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. Please refer to https://photocure.com/partners/our-partners for further information on our commercial partners.

About Photocure ASA

Photocure: The Bladder Cancer Company delivers transformative solutions to improve the lives of bladder cancer patients. Our unique technology, making cancer cells glow bright pink, has led to better health outcomes for patients worldwide. Photocure is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE: PHO). For more information, please visit us at www.photocure.com, www.hexvix.com, www.cysview.com

For further information, please contact:
Dan Schneider
President and CEO
Photocure ASA
Email: [email protected]

Erik Dahl
CFO
Photocure ASA
Tel: +4745055000
Email: [email protected]

David Moskowitz
Vice President, Investor Relations
Photocure ASA
Tel: +1 202 280 0888
Email: [email protected]

Media and IR enquiries:
Geir Bjørlo
Corporate Communications (Norway)
Tel: +47 91540000
Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Photocure