GE Healthcare Commercializes Photodynamic Bladder Cancer Diagnostic

National Health Service (NHS) has committed to a program designed to promote the adoption of photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) of bladder cancer as standard care.

The product, Hexvix, is currently the only photodynamic diagnostic product approved in the United Kingdom for detecting bladder cancer, where General Electric (GE) Healthcare (Chalfont St Giles, UK) is commercializing it. The technique is based on the specific absorption of a photosensitive molecule (hexaminolevulinate) by rapidly growing tumor cells and their subsequent detection by illumination with a blue light source. Malignant and premalignant cells fluorescence under illumination allowing their detection and removal with much greater sensitivity than afforded by standard cystoscopy using white light. In clinical trials, up to 30% more bladder cancer lesions were identified using Hexvix than standard cystoscopy techniques.

Hexvix is a product of Photocure ASA (Norway, Oslo), a pharmaceutical company that develops and markets pharmaceutics and medical devices for the photodynamic diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The company has another product on the market: Metvix, for the treatment of sun-damaged skin, and certain types of skin cancer. In addition, the company has developed a light source, the Aktilite lamp, which is used in combination with the Metvix cream.

Kjetil Hestdal, president and CEO of Photocure, said, "The detection of lesions in the bladder can be improved dramatically using this simple new technique, and it enables surgeons to remove lesions more effectively and completely, thereby reducing disease recurrence significantly. We look forward to playing our part in accelerating the adoption of PDD for bladder cancer in the [United Kingdom] as a standard procedure.”

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