IceCure Ltd. (TASE: ICCM) saw its share price jump 130% on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange after reporting clinical trial results with 99% effectiveness in eliminating cancerous breast tumors through freezing with liquid nitrogen without surgery.
The Caesarea based company, owned by Chinese investor Haixiang Lee, is engaged in research, development and marketing of medical devices for minimally invasive treatment of malignant and benign tumors through freezing and not surgery. The company presented for the first time yesterday data which it had received about the ICE3 trial, at the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBS) conference currently being held in the US (the world's largest conference for surgeons and decision makers in the field). This is the largest controlled, multi-location clinical trial held to date in the US for the freezing of malignant breast tumors without subsequently removing them. IceCure has FDA and CE approval to market the device in the US and Europe for a range of indications.
As part of the trial, the patients undergo a medical procedure of about 20-40 minutes in a clinic using the company's IceSense3™ system without surgery or being hospitalized, and being sent home a short time after the procedure, while undergoing monitoring for the following five years, as is standard practice. The trial was carried out in 18 leading US hospitals and clinics including Mount Sinai Beth Israel and Columbia University Medical Center.
The results found that of the 146 patients that underwent the treatment only one patient had the cancer recur. Of the 145 patients, 103 patients are in the follow-up period of almost two years. The trial includes women aged over 50 (the average age is 75) with low-risk breast cancer in its early stages, with 1.5 centimeter growths, a type representing 60% of the breast cancer cases diagnosed each year.
In the trial, no significant complications were seen. In addition, it was reported that 76% of those examined returned to full daily activities within 48 hours and 95% of the patients and doctors reported satisfaction with the cosmetic results. IceCure Medical CEO Eyal Shamir said, "The treatment with IceSence3™ provides a simple, precise and safe alternative to surgical procedures for removing the cancerous tumor in the breast. Treatment with our system enables the elimination of the entire tumor by freezing. Patients taking part in the trial can enjoy their routine lives after a brief and straightforward treatment, without scars and without changing the shape or size of the breast."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 6, 2018
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