March 10, 2016
BTG International Canada Expands Operations To Directly Sell Interventional Oncology Products

London, UK, 10 March 2016

DC Bead®, DC BeadM1® and Bead Block® Now Sold Directly to Specialist Physicians Across Canada

BTG International Canada Inc., part of the international specialty healthcare company BTG (LSE: BTG), is now selling its interventional oncology products DC Bead®, DC BeadM1® and Bead Block® direct-to-physicians in Canada.  All three products were previously distributed in Canada by LivaNova PLC.
 
BTG has expanded its commercial presence in Canada in recent months and built an expert commercial team to directly promote and distribute its products.  In 2015, BTG began selling its radioembolization product TheraSphere® and will now sell key interventional oncology products DC Bead®, DC BeadM1®, and Bead Block® directly in the Canadian marketplace.
 
“Being a global leader in interventional medicine, we’re proud to establish a commercial presence in Canada and pleased to begin to supply BTG products directly to healthcare professionals across the country,” said Brad Pearson, director, commercial operations at BTG International Canada Inc.
 
Canadian customers may call 1-844-292-1BTG (1284) to order DC Bead®, DC BeadM1®, and Bead Block® directly from BTG International Canada.  To order TheraSphere® directly in Canada, customers may call BTG International Canada at 1-866-363-3330.
 

About DC Bead®
The gold-standard drug-eluting bead, DC Bead® is supported by more than 10 years’ experience and 100 peer-reviewed publications reporting outcomes in over 3,500 patients with liver cancer.  DC Bead® has been shown in studies to offer improved clinical and patient outcomes, including excellent tolerability versus conventional TACE, and high rates of five-year survival data.1-8
 
Developed and manufactured by BTG, DC Bead® received Canadian approval in 2006. 
DC Bead® is an embolic drug-eluting bead capable of loading and releasing chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma or HCC) and liver metastases from colorectal cancers.


About DC BeadM1®
Approved in Canada in 2011, DC BeadM1® is a subset of the smallest DC Bead®.  The narrow size distribution of DC BeadM1® offers greater uniformity and concentration of bead and drug distribution in the tumor.9

About Bead Block®
Bead Block® embolic beads have a unique structure – PVA hydrogel cross-linked with acrylic polymer – to ensure smooth delivery and targeted, effective embolization. Bead Block® received Canadian approval in 2005.

All bead products are used in minimally invasive (non-surgical) procedures performed by an interventional radiologist.


About TheraSphere®
Manufactured in Ottawa, Canada, TheraSphere® was granted a Canadian medical device license in 2002.
TheraSphere® is a well-tolerated liver cancer therapy that consists of millions of small glass microspheres containing radioactive yttrium-90. The product is injected by a physician into the artery of the patient’s liver through a catheter, which allows the treatment to be delivered directly to the tumor via blood flow.


About BTG Interventional Medicine
BTG Interventional Medicine is part of BTG plc, a growing international specialist healthcare company. As medicine moves from major surgery to minor procedure, from the systemic to the local, no company endeavors to do more than BTG Interventional Medicine to help doctors in their quest to see more, reach further and treat smarter. Our growing portfolio of Interventional Medicine products is designed to advance the treatment of liver tumors, advanced emphysema, severe blood clots, and varicose veins. To learn more about BTG Interventional Medicine, please visit: btg-im.com.

-ENDS-

For further information contact:

Canadian Media Inquiries:

Eileen Tobey, beSPEAK Communications Inc.
Eileen@bespeakcommunications.com
+1 416 540 4047

Investor Relations Inquiries:

Andy Burrows, VP Corporate & Investor Relations
+44 (0)20 7575 1741; Mobile: +44 (0)7990 530 605

International Inquiries:

Chris Sampson, Director of Corporate Communications
+44 (0)20 7575 1595; Mobile: +44 (0)7773 251 178

References:
1. DC Bead Clinical Bibliography.  Jan 2016.  Available on Request
2. Varela M et al. J Hepatol 46 (2007): 474-81
3. Poon RTP et al. Clin Gastroenterol and Hepatol 5 (2007): 1100-08.
4. Lammer J et al. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 33 (2010): 41-52
5. Liu Y-S et al. Korean J Radiol 16 (2015): 125-132.
6. Song MJ et al. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 23 (2011): 521-7.
7. Burrel M et al. J Hepatol 56 (2012): 1330-5.
8. Malagari K et al. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 35 (2012): 1119-28.
9. Dreher M et al.  J Vasc Interv Radiol 23 (2012):  257-64.