Clinical-stage Australian Lifesciences company OncoSil Medical (ASX:OSL) has appointed Professor Pierce Chow as chairman of the company’s primary liver cancer - hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) - Scientific Advisory Board.
The company also plans to file for CE Mark in both pancreatic and liver cancer indications in Q3, 2015.
The OncoSil™ device has clinically demonstrated target tumour shrinkage in both solid tumour indications of pancreatic and liver cancer, with the primary liver cancer market representing a major new market opportunity estimated to be worth $1.4b by 2019.
The appointment of Professor Chow represents a major endorsement of OncoSil’s plans to actively pursue the HCC indication with the company’s OncoSil™ localised radiation treatment, in addition to the pancreatic cancer indication.
Professor Chow is acknowledged as a global leader in oncology, with particular emphasis on HCC, and the development of medical devices.
He is Professor at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and Senior Consultant Surgeon at the National Cancer Centre Singapore and the Singapore General Hospital.
He is also concurrently NMRC Senior Clinician Scientist.
During his career, Professor Chow has utilised his clinical experience and reputation in the Asia-Pacific region to successfully lead multi-disciplinary teams in translational research projects and multi-national investigator-initiated clinical trials.
Professor Chow commented: “I am delighted to be working again with the Team at OncoSil, and look forward to my role as chairman of the HCC Scientific Advisory Board in developing the HCC program.
"Every now and again you come across a new and exciting approach in medicine that really stands out.
"OncoSil is exactly that for primary liver cancer I look forward to utilising my skills and expertise in this area to help realise this potential.”
The OncoSil™ opportunity in Primary Liver cancer
Hepatocellular Carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer in the world with 782,000 new cases diagnosed in 2012.
Its very poor prognosis makes it the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality, responsible for approximately 600,000 deaths annually. The value of the hepatocellular cancer (HCC) market is expected to triple in size to $1.4b by 2019, which more than doubles the market potential of Oncosil.
Surgery offers patients the most consistent and significant survival advantage, yet less than 20% of HCC patients are suitable for surgery at time of diagnosis.
Even in patients who have surgery, long term survival remains low because of recurrent carcinoma and progressive liver disease.
Approximately 30% of inoperable HCC patients may benefit from existing therapies that prolong life but outcomes and survival of the remaining inoperable patients is extremely poor.
Radiation therapy may be used, but has systemic side effects in an already sick patient population. Localised radiation therapy, such as that supplied by OncoSil™, may offer a potential treatment option without systemic side effects.
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