Sirtex commercialise liver cancer treatment

In 2011 Sirtex received $265,000 over four years as part of an ARC linkage Project to develop and commercialise effective treatments for liver cancer using novel small particle technology.

They have developed an innovative means of treating liver cancer in cases where it is not possible to surgically remove the liver tumours. Their product can be used to deliver targeted, internal irradiation therapy directly to the tumour where it remains, having its impact only on the affected organ. This new therapy is called Selective Internal Radiation Therapy also know as SIRT. Nano-beads loaded with a radioactive isotope can be studied in detail and tracked using cryo-scanning electron microscopy, thereby providing important information to the researchers.

Sirtex has worked with Microscopy Australia at the Australian National University to improve delivery of SIRT through the application of nano-particulate technology.

Since 2011 they have gone on to successfully commercialise a targeted radioactive treatment for liver cancer called SIR-Spheres® Y-90 resin microspheres. This has received get PMA approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the European Union (CE Mark) and Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Over 92,000 doses of SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres have been supplied to treat liver cancer patients at over 1,230 medical centres in over 40 countries.