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Terumo Europe N.V. is proud to share our latest key publication regarding holmium-166 (QuiremSpheres™) Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT). On 9th August 2019, UMC Utrecht published its results from a recent study on the comparison of QuiremScout™ to technetium-99m-macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) as a SIRT work-up which is used to select patients with liver cancer who will benefit from SIRT treatment.

The aim of this study was to analyze whether the intrahepatic distribution of QuiremScout™ has a better agreement with the QuiremSpheres™ distribution when compared with 99mTc-MAA. It has been indicated in several scientific papers, the widely used Tech-99m-MAA has limited predictive value.

This study included 53 patients which had been included in either phase 1 and phase 2 Holmium Embolization Particles for Arterial Radiotherapy (HEPAR) studies and showed QuiremScout™ to have a superior predictive value for intrahepatic distribution in comparison to 99mTc-MAA.

"Previous studies already demonstrated that QuiremScout™ is safe1 in this population and moreover a better predictor for lung shunting than to 99mTc-MAA. As a result, QuiremScout™ allows for more accurate SIRT patient selection. Now, our study shows the potential of QuiremScout™ to also improve the efficacy of SIRT, by allowing a more accurate and truly personalized pre-treatment activity planning." says Maarten Smits MD PhD, first author of the article2.

"This is an important next step towards unlocking the full potential of QuiremScout™." said Rijk de Jong, Medical Director of Quirem Medical. "Smits et al. publication further strengthens the evidence base of QuiremScout™, demonstrating superiority over 99mTc-MAA in the evaluation of the subsequent treatment. We believe this will translate into enhanced efficacy and safety for the benefit of patients undergoing SIRT procedures."

"This is a very exciting milestone for QuiremScout™ and the next step in building the future for SIRT." added Peter Coenen, President of Interventional Systems Terumo EMEA. "This publication further validates the advantages of QuiremScout™ over 99mTc-MAA during the SIRT work up, which we at Terumo believe is a vital step in advancing patient selection and optimizing dosimetry for better patient outcomes."

Results from this trial are published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine Molecular Imaging 2019. QuiremScout™ is the first SIRT work-up product that utilizes the same technology as the therapeutic microspheres, which aims to optimize patient selection and advance treatment planning when compared to using 99mTc-MAA.

  • 1

    Braat AJAT et al. Eur Radiol 2017

  • 2

    Smits, et al. Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Imaging 2019

About Quirem Medical

At Quirem Medical, we develop and commercialize the next-generation Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) microspheres based on the radioisotope Holmium-166. We believe the treatment outcome of unresectable liver cancer with SIRT can be optimized with Holmium-166 microspheres, which can be visualized and quantified to improve SIRT patient selection, treatment planning and treatment verification. Our innovative Holmium-166 platform technology provides physicians a complete CE-marked SIRT solution including QuiremScout™, QuiremSpheres™ and the supporting dosimetry software Q-Suite™.

About Terumo

Terumo (TSE: 4543) is a global leader in medical technology and has been committed to “Contributing to Society through Healthcare” for 100 years. Based in Tokyo and operating globally, Terumo employs more than 30,000 associates worldwide to provide innovative medical solutions in more than 160 countries and regions. The company started as a Japanese thermometer manufacturer, and has been supporting healthcare ever since. Now, its extensive business portfolio ranges from vascular intervention and cardio-surgical solutions, blood transfusion and cell therapy technology, to medical products essential for daily clinical practice such as transfusion systems, diabetes care, and peritoneal dialysis treatments. Terumo will further strive to be of value to patients, medical professionals, and society at large.

Among the information that Terumo discloses, the forward-looking statements including financial projections are based upon our assumptions using information available to us at the time and are not intended to be guarantees of future events or performance. Accordingly, it should be noted that actual results may differ from those forecasts or projections due to various factors. Factors affecting to actual results include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions surrounding Terumo, fluctuations of foreign exchange rates, and state of competition.

 

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