Newswatch: March 2006

GE Healthcare and PhotoCure announce licensing partnership

A bladder imaged with Hexvix and blue light cystoscopy (bottom) shows the bladder cancer more clearly than the traditional white light cystoscopy (top).

GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences (Princeton, NJ) and PhotoCure ASA (Oslo, Norway) have announced a licensing agreement that grants GE Healthcare exclusive global rights outside of the United States and the Nordic region to market and distribute PhotoCure's product Hexvix (hexaminovulinate), an optical molecular-imaging agent intended for the diagnosis and monitoring of bladder cancer. PhotoCure will be responsible for manufacturing and Nordic distribution of the product. The agreement includes an exclusive option for GE Healthcare to market and distribute the product in the United States.

Hexvix has received approval for the diagnosis of bladder cancer in a large number of European countries through the European mutual-recognition procedure, and more are expected in the near future. This product is not currently approved by the FDA; however, a new drug application was submitted in June 2005 in the United States and, if approved by the FDA, would be the first optical molecular-imaging agent of its kind available to the US market. GE Healthcare's agreement includes access to other indications for the product currently under evaluation and testing by PhotoCure.

"The product is approved in 27 countries in the European Union, but it's not launched yet," said Jerry Liebrand, VP of business development for medical diagnostics at GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences. "It will be launched in the middle of this year. In the clinical trials, the white light cystoscopy was compared with the blue light cystoscopy, using Hexvix. The goal is to get better patient outcomes."

Added Kjetil Hestdal, president and CEO of PhotoCure, "This is a great match. With its focus, strong market position in imaging, and successful track record of launching new products, GE Healthcare is the ideal partner for establishing Hexvix as a tool in the diagnosis of bladder cancer."

Optical imaging has the potential to provide new applications in the prevention and treatment of bladder cancer, as well as other diseases. The treatment uses light to illuminate superficial tissue, such as bladder tissue. By combining this technology with an optical molecular imaging agent, tumors might be targeted more accurately.