Sirtex Medical to Expand in the United States

Sirtex Medical Inc., a subsidiary of Sirtex Medical Ltd., is expanding operations in the United States in response to an increased demand for SIR-Spheres Microspheres, the only microsphere radiation therapy for the treatment of colorectal liver metastases approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The company will place additional sales, marketing and functional support staff in Massachusetts and across the country. The decision to expand also follows the rapid growth in U.S. sales for microspheres, which are currently produced at the company’s facility in Wilmington, Mass.

Sirtex’s expansion is part of the company’s global growth plan that began in the United States in July 2010, with additions in July 2011, and the latest (in 2012).

“Sirtex continues to reach new milestones related to the number of U.S. dose sales, and we look forward to continuing to expand the business and build awareness for SIR-Spheres microspheres so more patients have access to this cancer treatment,” said Michael Mangano, president of Sirtex Medical Inc.”This latest expansion will allow us to accommodate current and future growth by addressing the increased demand for SIR-Spheres microspheres in treatment centers across the country and effectively reaching more patients diagnosed with colorectal liver tumors.”

Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), also known as radioembolization, is a proven technology for inoperable liver cancer that delivers doses of radiation directly to the site of tumors. In a minimally invasive treatment, millions of radioactive SIR-Spheres microspheres are infused through a catheter into the liver where they selectively target liver tumors with a dose of internal radiation up to 40 times higher than conventional radiotherapy, while sparing healthy tissue.

Clinical studies have confirmed that patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with SIR-Spheres microspheres have response rates higher than with other forms of treatment, resulting in increased life expectancy, greater periods without tumor activity and improved quality of life. SIRT has been found to shrink liver tumors more than chemotherapy alone.

Sirtex Medical Inc. is a exclusively a manufacturer of targeted, innovative liver cancer therapies, and is headquartered in Woburn, Mass.