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EANS-News: biolitec´s cancer therapy successful with Foscan® - PDT-drug has a positive effect in two thirds of the "hopeless cases" - Free of charge treatment in the Netherlands

Jena/Germany, Amsterdam/Netherlands (euro adhoc) -

A European clinical multicenter study shows that 68% of the patients 
treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) using biolitec’s cancer drug 
Foscan® responded well – 27% chance of living tumor-free for five 
years or more – Free of charge treatment in the Netherlands possible 
now
  Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely
  responsible for the content of this announcement.
New Products/Research & Development
Subtitle: A European clinical multicenter study shows that 68% of the
patients treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) using biolitec’s 
cancer drug Foscan® responded well – 27% chance of living tumor-free 
for five years or more – Free of charge treatment in the Netherlands 
possible now
October 28, 2010 -
biolitec´s PDT drug Foscan® brings new hope for patients with head 
and neck cancer.
A study performed with Foscan® photodynamic therapy (PDT) at 13 
European centers in four countries in patients with advanced head & 
neck cancer failing previous therapies and without any therapeutic 
alternative brings new hope for these patients:  68% of the treated 
patients responded well or very well to it: The probability of these 
patients for living disease free after five years is 40% (27% for all
treated patients). None of the current standard therapies such as 
surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or a combination thereof were deemed
to be of any use for those patients. Most of the treated patients 
experienced an improvement of quality of life by the Foscan 
treatment. The study indicates that a quarter of these patients, who 
have been considered untreatable, now has a chance for cure from 
their dreadful disease.
Since modern cancer drugs in the initial phase are often 
prohibitively expensive and modern therapy concepts are not readily 
available everywhere, patients in the Netherlands now have the 
opportunity to get the photodynamic therapy treatment (PDT) with 
Foscan® free of charge within three years (2009 - 2011). A parallel 
conducted cost efficiency study on Foscan® treatment is partially 
supported by ZonMw, the Dutch organisation for Health Research and 
Development.
The PDT treatment contains several steps: First patients receive 
Foscan®, a so- called photosensitizer from biolitec pharma Ltd. After
four days, when the photosensitizer has concentrated in the tumor 
tissue, it is irradiated by laser and the cells of the diseased 
tissue are destroyed by activating the agent. The drug is approved by
the European Health Authority EMEA for palliative treatment of head 
and neck cancer.
At the moment, Foscan® is applied especially for the treatment of the
so-called squamous cell carcinoma, a malignant tumor originating from
the epithelium of skin and mucosa. Relapses, that are reoccurring 
tumors of this cancer type, can also be treated with photodynamic 
therapy and Foscan®.
Worldwide, approximately 143.000 people develop head or neck cancer 
each year. It is the sixth most common type of cancer to die of, in 
Europe 68.000 people die from it every year. In the Netherlands 2.400
people develop head and neck cancer annually. Patients in the 
Netherlands are treated at the following renowned medical centers: 
Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) in Amsterdam (Prof. Bing Tan), 
Groningen University Medical Center (M.J.H. Witjes), Erasmus 
University Medical Center in Rotterdam (C.A. Meeuwis), Utrecht 
University Medical Center (W.W. Braunius) and Maastricht Academic 
Hospital (K.W. Kross).
About biolitec biolitec AG  is one of the worldwide leading companies
in the field of medical laser treatment and the only provider that 
possesses all the relevant core competences - photosensitizers, laser
devices and optical fibers - in the field of photodynamic therapy 
(PTD). Besides the laser treatment of cancer with Foscan®, biolitec 
primarily develops minimally-invasive and gentle laser treatments and
markets them. ELVeS® (Endo Laser Vein System) is the laser system 
most frequently used worldwide for the treatment of varicose veins, 
the Evolve? laser is established as gentle treatment in urology for 
BPH. Gentle laser treatments in the fields of proctology, ENT, 
orthopedics and ophthalmology as well as aesthetics also belong to 
the business field of biolitec. biolitec AG is listed in the Prime 
Standard and the German Entrepreneurial Index GEX® (ISIN 
DE0005213409). Further information: www.biolitec.de.
end of announcement                               euro adhoc

Further inquiry note:

Jörn Gleisner
Tel.: +49 (69) 959083-20
E-Mail: joern.gleisner@biolitec.com

Branche: Pharmaceuticals
ISIN: DE0005213409
WKN: 521340
Index: CDAX, Prime All Share, Technology All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
Stuttgart / free trade
Düsseldorf / free trade
München / free trade

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