February 21, 2018
First Patient in Latin America Receives TheraSphere® Radioembolisation Treatment

Mexico, 21 February 2018

BTG plc (LSE: BTG), a global specialist healthcare company, announced the first patient in Latin America in Mexico was treated with TheraSphere® – a treatment for hepatic neoplasia that delivers powerful radiation to tumour cells and minimizes the exposure to healthy tissue.

Dr. Jose Luis Rios Reyna, Interventional Radiologist, Chief of Imagenology, Hospital Ángeles Mocel (Grupo Ángeles), in Mexico who was responsible for administering the dose of TheraSphere® said "We are very proud to be the first medical group of Interventional Radiology in Latin America to provide this therapy to patients with liver cancer. Liver cancer has a high mortality rate in Mexico, is now the 14th highest cause of all the fatalities; the disease has increased over the last few decades, especially older men in their 60s and 70s. It is fantastic news that this therapy is now available to physicians to help us treat certain patients who currently live with this condition in Mexico and those who may develop it in the future.”

TheraSphere® is a targeted therapy that consists of millions of glass microspheres containing radioactive yttrium-90. The microspheres are about 20-30 micrometers in diameter – about a third of the width of a human hair. They are delivered directly to liver tumours through the hepatic artery via catheter. The glass microspheres flow directly into the liver tumour through its blood vessels and become permanently lodged there. Because the procedure delivers the treatment directly to the liver tumour, the radiation destroys the tumour cells with minimal impact to the surrounding normal liver tissue. The radioactive microspheres continue to deliver radiation to the tumour over the course of several weeks after treatment. TheraSphere® can also be used as a bridge to surgical removal of diseased tissue or transplantation in these patients.

Brad Pearson, BTG VP Commercial Operations for Canada and Latin, said: “As we continue to build on our presence in Latin America, BTG is able to offer innovative healthcare solutions to the patient populations that need them most. Mexico is the first Latin America market where we have made TheraSphere® commercially available. We will be expanding into Argentina and Brazil very shortly.”

In Mexico, TheraSphere® is approved for the treatment of hepatic neoplasia, which includes both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), also known as primary liver cancer, and metastatic liver cancer or cancer that has spread to the liver from another point of origin. TheraSphere® is distributed in Mexico by LevBeth Medical. Over 20,000 patients worldwide have been treated with TheraSphere®.

About BTG Interventional Oncology

BTG Interventional Oncology is transforming the way cancer is treated with wide-ranging solutions consisting of minimally-invasive, highly targeted therapies that can be personalized to each patient’s needs. Our products are used to treat or provide symptomatic relief for people with cancer and benign tumors. To learn more about BTG Interventional Oncology, please follow @BTGIO on twitter or visit: www.therasphere.com.

About TheraSphere®

TheraSphere® glass microspheres have a high specific activity so fewer microspheres need to be administered to achieve the desired dose. As a result, glass microspheres have minimal embolic effect. This allows deeper penetration within the tumour, where the primary mechanism of action is radiation. A key benefit of TheraSphere® is the ability to achieve high absorbed dose in the tumour leading to improved tumour response and better patient outcomes.

In the EU, Singapore, South Korea and Canada, TheraSphere® is approved for the treatment of hepatic neoplasia. In the US, TheraSphere® is approved under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) for use in radiation treatment or as a neoadjuvant to surgery or transplantation in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who can have placement of appropriately positioned hepatic arterial catheters. The device is also indicated for HCC patients with partial or branch portal vein thrombosis/occlusion, when clinical evaluation warrants the treatment. The effectiveness of this device for this use has not been demonstrated. For full instructions for use and important safety information, please visit www.therasphere.com.

For further information contact:

BTG plc
Chris Sampson, Corporate Communications Director
+44 20 7575 1595; Mobile: +44 7773 251 178