On May 23, 2022 Alpha Tau Medical, the developer of the pioneering alpha-radiation cancer therapy Alpha DaRT, reported that the first patients in its French multicenter trial for skin cancer were treated with Alpha DaRT, at the Leon Berard Center in Lyon, France by Dr. Pascal Pommier and his team (Press release, Alpha Tau Medical, MAY 23, 2022, View Source [SID1234614939]). The Leon Berard Center specializes in radiotherapy for cancer and is affiliated with the National Federation of Cancer Centers in France – UNICANCER Group. Dr. Pommier is the Principal Investigator of the French multicenter study and has more than 20 years of experience in radiation oncology and leading clinical trials.
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The trial is currently being conducted at six cancer centers in France, on patients with malignant cutaneous lesions (including SCC, BCC, lentigo maligna melanoma, and carcinosarcoma), and is evaluating two cohorts: (1) newly diagnosed patients (up to 49 subjects), and (2) patients with locally recurrent disease (36 subjects). The primary effectiveness endpoint is the assessment of the overall response rate using RECIST criteria, 9 to 11 weeks after Alpha DaRT source insertion.
Alpha Tau CEO Uzi Sofer remarked, "We are thrilled to have our first patients treated in this important French multicenter study, our first protocol assessing first-line treatment irrespective of other available standard-of-care therapies. I want to thank Dr. Pascal Pommier for leading the study and successfully delivering treatment to the first two Alpha DaRT patients in France."
"It is very exciting to offer an innovative treatment, such as the Alpha DaRT, to cancer patients who may not have other attractive treatment alternatives," added Dr. Pascal Pommier. "This novel application of alpha radiation aims to utilize a focused and highly powerful radiation that may destroy tumors while minimizing toxicity. I found the treatment simple and straightforward, and look forward to helping other patients soon using the Alpha DaRT."
"With our international clinical study program progressing in several countries, we look forward to producing results on a larger scale in France with Dr. Pascal Pommier and his experienced staff," said Alpha Tau CMO, Dr. Robert Den.
About Alpha DaRT
Alpha DaRT (Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy) is designed to enable highly potent and conformal alpha-irradiation of solid tumors by intratumoral insertion of radium-224 impregnated seeds. When the radium decays, its short-lived daughters are released from the seed, and disperse while emitting high-energy alpha particles with the goal of destroying the tumor. Since the alpha-emitting atoms diffuse only a short distance, Alpha DaRT aims to mainly affect the tumor, and to spare the healthy tissue around it.