PhotoCure awarded Innovation Prize for photodynamic therapy of cancer and skin diseases

29-Aug-2003

Oslo, Norway. PhotoCure is very pleased to announce that it has been awarded The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry's annual Prize for Innovation.

PhotoCure received the prize as a result of the company's exciting research and innovation within photodynamic therapy for the treatment of cancer and skin diseases, and for the excellent results seen in patients treated with its first product, Metvix®. The fact that the company has also successfully commercialised its technology was another factor in PhotoCure winning this award.

The President and CEO of PhotoCure, Professor Vidar Hansson, who was present at the ceremony to receive the prize, says in a comment: "It is a great honour to receive this year's Prize for Innovation. It confirms that what we do is meaningful to society, and it provides us with great encouragement in our future work."

PhotoCure ASA is a Norwegian listed company (Oslo Stock Exchange: PHO) that develops and sells pharmaceuticals and medical devices for photodynamic treatment of cancer and precancerous conditions. The company develops products for internal cancer, skin cancer and other skin diseases. Metvix® is developed for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer) and actinic keratosis (precancerous skin lesions). PhotoCure is responsible for sales and marketing of Metvix® in the Nordic countries, while its licencee, the global dermatology specialist, Galderma, is responsible for sales and marketing of Metvix® in the rest of the world. PhotoCure's second pharmaceutical product Hexvix® is developed for bladder cancer detection. A Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for Hexvix® is filed in Sweden and Phase III studies are ongoing in the US.

Metvix® is a novel skin cancer treatment that combines local application of a cream (Metvix®), selectively absorbed into the cancer cells, and illumination with a proprietary red light source (Aktilite®) to activate the drug. Metvix® is approved for non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma, BCC) and pre-cancerous skin lesions (actinic keratosis, AK), in most European countries and New Zealand, while market authorisations are pending in other countries. PhotoCure ASA is responsible for marketing and sales of Metvix® in the Nordic countries, while Galderma S.A. is responsible for the marketing and sales of Metvix® in the rest of the world.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/28084/photocure-awarded-innovation-prize-for-photodynamic-therapy-of-cancer-and-skin-diseases.html