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MDS Nordion Launches Improved TheraSphere(R) Administration System for Physicians

Friday, October 16, 2009 General News
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Enhancements Provide Safer, Faster, and Easier Treatments

OTTAWA, March 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - MDS Nordion, a leading provider of medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals, today announced the launch of an improved administration system for TheraSphere(R), Yttrium-90 Microsphere (Y-90), a targeted internal radiation therapy for patients with inoperable, primary liver cancer. The enhancements to the administration system allow for safer, faster, and more efficient administration of TheraSphere(R), providing better treatment delivery for patients.
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The simplified design of the administration system makes TheraSphere(R) even easier to use for physicians. It has fewer parts, is easier to assemble, requires less handling, and reduces set-up time for physicians by approximately 50 per cent.
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"As a result of working closely with our physicians, we have taken their feedback and incorporated it into the improved administration system," said MDS Nordion President Steve West. "Through a systematic approach, we've simplified the treatment process by reducing the number of connections required by 40 per cent."

The disposable tubing and tubing connections have been re-designed to minimize barriers and optimize the fluid pathway which is significant for delivery of small particle technology. These improvements optimize dose delivery, providing enhanced safety and ease of use for both medical staff and patients.

"Overall, MDS Nordion incorporated smart enhancements to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of TheraSphere(R) including optimizing access to the dose vial and improving the overall internal flow of the therapy to the affected cells," said Dr. David Wood, Chief of Interventional Radiology, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona. "These upgrades make the administration of TheraSphere(R) to our patients safer and easier."

Dr. May Wahab, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Sylvester Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine at University of Miami Hospital said that TheraSphere(R) is the result of cutting-edge, advanced technology allowing incorporation of radiation-emitting Yttrium into glass microbeads. This advanced technology is providing physicians with an array of new tools with which to treat cancers.

"The improvements made to the administration system will make delivering TheraSphere(R) much easier and far more efficient and is an exciting development (for the medical community)," noted Dr. Wahab.

About Primary Liver Cancer

Primary liver cancer is on the rise. Statistics from the American Cancer Society for 2007, the latest year for which statistics are available, predicted the diagnosis of more than 19,000 new cases of primary liver cancers in the United States with over 16,000 deaths. These numbers are expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

About TheraSphere(R)

TheraSphere(R) is a low toxicity, liver cancer therapy which consists of millions of micro-glass beads containing radioactive yttrium-90. The product is injected by physicians into the main artery of the patient's liver through a catheter which allows the treatment to be delivered directly to the tumour via blood vessels. Unlike chemotherapy, it has fewer side effects. Patients rarely experience the nausea and vomiting usually associated with high-dose, systemic chemotherapies. The TheraSphere(R) treatment can generally be administered on an outpatient basis and does not usually require an overnight hospital stay. TheraSphere(R), 100% reimbursed by Medicare and many commercial health insurers, is approved in the U.S. as a Humanitarian Device for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, also referred to as primary liver cancer, and is now approved for patients who also have partial or branch portal vein thrombosis and who are identified as suitable candidates by their physicians.

In 2008, MDS Nordion's TheraSphere(R) business grew by more than 50 per cent, which included the establishment of 18 new treatment centres in North America, bringing the total to over 70 in the U.S. For more information on TheraSphere(R), go to www.TheraSphere(R).com. Alternatively, for those who attend the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Trade Show on March 7-12, 2009 in San Diego, you are invited to visit us at Booth 2430 to receive a hands-on demonstration of the improved TheraSphere(R) administration system.

About MDS Nordion

MDS Nordion, a business unit of MDS Inc., is a global leader in providing medical isotopes for molecular and diagnostic imaging, radiotherapeutics and sterilization technologies for medical products that benefit the lives of millions of people in more than 50 countries around the world. MDS Nordion products and services are used on a daily basis by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical-device manufacturers, hospitals, clinics and research laboratories. Find out more at www.mdsnordion.com

About MDS

MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ) is a global life sciences company that provides market-leading products and services that our customers need for the development of drugs, and the diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading global provider of pharmaceutical contract research, medical isotopes for molecular imaging, radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has more than 5,000 highly skilled people in 29 countries. Find out more at www.mdsinc.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.

SOURCE MDS Inc.
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