EDAP TMS SA, the global leader in robotic energy-based therapies, today announced that the first two patients have been treated in the company’s Phase 2 clinical trial assessing Focal One High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) as a potential treatment for deep rectal endometriosis. A total of 38 women will be enrolled in the study and treated at five major hospitals and assessed over a six-month follow-up period. Follow-up of these patients will evaluate the safety and efficacy of HIFU for this pathology. Additional patients continue to be enrolled.
Pr. Gil Dubernard, Head of the Gynecologic Department, Croix-Rousse University Hospital, Lyon, and lead investigator, commented, “The first two patient treatments were completed this past Tuesday, and additional HIFU treatment session with study subjects are already scheduled for next week. We are very pleased to have commenced enrollment and treatments so soon after receiving regulatory approval. Many women suffer from this debilitating condition, which bodes well for the rapid recruitment of the additional subjects needed to conduct this important study.”
“We had been carefully planning an efficient development path for endometriosis, and this allowed us to begin treating patients almost immediately after receiving approval from health authorities. We are very excited with the pace of recruitment so far and the number of potential candidates gives us confidence that we can continue to advance development of Focal One in this indication and, if successful, bring it to market in a timely manner,” added Marc Oczachowski, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EDAP TMS.
Endometriosis affects nearly 10% of women of childbearing age, which is approximately 176 million women worldwide. Digestive endometriosis affects 20% of these women. It is one of the most symptomatic forms of the disease, mostly when the rectum is involved, and is responsible for a significant decline in quality of life. The symptoms of endometriosis include pain during menstrual cycles and ovulation, defecation during or after sexual intercourse, infertility, and can impact general physical, mental, and social wellbeing. When medical treatments are ineffective, surgical resection remains the standard despite significant adverse events. Focal One HIFU, as a minimally invasive ablative procedure, may prove to be a real benefit for these women who have no effective therapeutic options today.
Source: Company Press Release
