Oslo, Norway, March 22, 2007

The first results of Photocures clinical study using fluorescence diagnosis of colorectal polyps and tumours, show promising results.

Patients with suspicion of colorectal cancer are routinely examined by visual inspection of the colon (colonoscopy). The entire colon is examined to find tumors and polyps, but more than 20% of the lesions are missed which may progress to colorectal cancer.

Photocure has initiated development of its medical technology using fluorescence diagnosis to improve standard colonoscopy in patients with suspicion of colorectal cancer. Fluorescence diagnosis is already approved in Europe for diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Photocure is performing a dose-finding phase I/II study at two hospitals in Germany using fluorescence diagnosis in 30 patients with suspicion of colorectal cancer. Patients receive local instillation of hexaminolevulinate (HAL) before proceeding with colonoscopy using both white and blue (fluorescence) light.

The first results are presented at an endoscopy congress in Munich today by Dr Brigitte Mayinger, the leading investigator of the study. The first results show that fluorescence diagnosis improves detection of polyps. No systemic or local side effects related to the use of HAL are reported.

Kjetil Hestdal MD. Ph.D., President and CEO of Photocure comments: "We are pleased to see that our technology seems to improve diagnosis of colorectal cancer similar to what we have shown in patients with bladder cancer." 

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers, but only about 50% of the patients are alive 5 years after diagnosis. This is due to invasive and metastatic disease in more than 50% of the patients at the time of diagnosis. Colorectal cancer develops over 10-15 years and by early diagnosis and treatment, mortality from this disease may be reduced by more than 90%. Colorectal polyps are quite common in the elderly population and health authorities in EU and US recommend that all women and men above 50 years should be screened. There are more than 10 million colonoscopies performed in EU and US annually.