Legal Proceedings Report • Jun 4, 2024
Legal Proceedings Report
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Photocure Announces Mobile BLC Tower Initiative to Expand Access to Cysview in the U.S.
Press Release - Oslo, Norway, June 4, 2024: Photocure ASA (OSE: PHO), the
Bladder Cancer Company, today announces that it has commenced activities to
support a new initiative enabling U.S. Hospitals and Clinics to offer blue light
cystoscopy (BLC[®]) using a mobile capital equipment model. The initiative is
aligned with a recently executed agreement between Karl Storz and ForTec
Medical, aimed at providing on-demand SaphiraT BLC equipment to hospitals in the
U.S. leveraging ForTec's utilization-driven mobile equipment business model.
The mobile tower opportunity is intended to increase access to BLC by reducing
or eliminating the need for capital budget approvals and instead, enables
hospitals to utilize operating budgets to bring the benefits of BLC with
Cysview[®] to their physicians and patients. In some hospitals and clinics in
the U.S., capital budget priorities have become a rate-limiting factor for
purchasing and adopting SaphiraT equipment to improve TURBT* procedures and the
management of patients with bladder cancer.
ForTec has initiated procedures in select territories with the 6 Saphira towers
that it currently has in the field, and an expanded rollout of the program
throughout the U.S. is anticipated to commence in the third quarter of 2024 with
12 additional Saphira towers that ForTec is preparing for deployment.
ForTec focuses on the urology treatment segment, and is equipped to provide real
-time capital equipment from its warehouses across the U.S. With ForTec's
facility network located within 3 hours of >90% of all U.S. operating rooms, and
its sales force covering the 48 contiguous states in the U.S., the mobile BLC
tower opportunity has potential to significantly increase access and utilization
of BLC with Cysview for TURBT procedures. In preparation for the national
rollout, ForTec, Photocure, and Karl Storz will hold joint training and planning
sessions among their commercial organizations.
Under the mobile tower business model, hospitals or physicians can contact
ForTec to schedule cases. Once scheduled, ForTec will deliver the equipment the
day before the procedure for proper set up and care. A ForTec technician is
present during all surgical procedures. Once the procedures are completed for
the day or rental period, ForTec will return the mobile tower to its local depot
for servicing and quality control in advance of the next deployment. At any
given point in the delivery of care, Photocure, Karl Storz and ForTec will
collaborate to ensure seamless service. The per case business model has
additional benefits such as roughly doubling the number of field-based account
managers between Photocure and ForTec, marketing the use of BLC with Cysview to
ForTec's vast customer network, and ensuring that trained technicians,
functioning equipment and parts are always available on-site.
"We are very pleased that the SaphiraT mobile tower program is planned for
expansion and is expected nationally throughout the remainder of the year. In
our discussions with customers, we saw that Urologists understood the clinical
value of BLC with Cysview but in many cases, were limited by a lengthy capital
equipment approval process. Additionally, this opportunity allows Photocure
access to major hospital systems as ForTec has successfully contracted with
national GPOs and opens the opportunity to expand the installed base of BLC
throughout the United States. Photocure continues to work towards ensuring
better access to quality bladder cancer care and this partnership demonstrates
that we are implementing proactive strategies to improve that access," says
Geoff Coy, Vice President & General Manager North America at Photocure.
"Collectively all three organizations will be highly focused on driving
utilization of BLC with Cysview through this mobile solution. Hospitals will be
able to provide BLC with Cysview on a per-case-basis which allows the expense to
fall within an operational budget instead of a capital budget. Once the
hospital's capital budget frees up, hospitals may choose to acquire the SaphiraT
tower permanently." Geoff Coy concludes.
"For over 35 years, ForTec has been successfully providing mobile technologies
to customers nationwide for urology and 10 other therapeutic areas. Hospitals
and healthcare care professionals are able to take advantage of ForTec's pay-per
-use model to gain real-time access to groundbreaking technologies and premier
service, without having to conduct an extensive capital budgeting evaluation,"
said Patrick Filipovitz, CEO of ForTec. "With our mobile SaphiraT tower
solution, we aim to expand the use of blue light cystoscopy by reducing the
barriers for healthcare institutions to gain access to this cutting-edge
equipment. In coordination with Karl Storz and Photocure, our highly trained
sales professionals and technicians will support cases and ensure safe and
proper operation of the equipment."
*TURBT: Transurethral resection of bladder tumor
Note to editors:
BLC, Hexvix and Cysview, trademarks mentioned in this release, are protected by
law and are registered trademarks of Photocure ASA.
This press release may contain product details and information which are not
valid, or a product is not accessible, in your country. Please be aware that
Photocure does not take any responsibility for accessing such information which
may not comply with any legal process, regulation, registration or usage in the
country of your origin.
About Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer ranks as the 8[th] most common cancer worldwide - the 5[th] most
common in men - with 1 949 000 prevalent cases (5-year prevalence rate)[1a], 614
000 new cases and more than 220 000 deaths in 2022.[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 BC 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 [February 2024].
[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
About KSEA
KARL STORZ Endoscopy America Inc. (KSEA) is a subsidiary of KARL STORZ
headquartered in Tuttlingen Germany. a global manufacturer and distributor of
endoscopes, medical instruments, and devices. Since its establishment, KARL
STORZ Endoscopy-America has been responsible for all sales of endoscopes,
instruments, imaging systems, electromechanical devices, and OR1T integration
solutions for the operating room. Based in El Segundo, California, this
subsidiary maintains a reliable network, with employees ensuring customer care,
product consultation, and sales in all US states.
About ForTec
ForTec Medical, an industry leader, is dedicated to improving patient health and
healthcare by delivering innovative surgical technologies on demand. For more
than 30 years, ForTec has provided mobile surgical technologists to hospitals,
surgery centers and physician offices on an as-needed basis.
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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