AngioDynamics commences treatment in NanoKnife IRE System pilot study for HCC

AngioDynamics (NASDAQ:ANGO) today announced the first patient treatment and growing enrollment in a pilot study of the use of the Company's NanoKnife^® Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) System in the treatment of early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or primary liver cancer. This clinical trial is being conducted under the supervision of Professor Jordi Bruix of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Group of the University of Barcelona and Professor Riccardo Lencioni of the University of Pisa School of Medicine.

“Our strategy with NanoKnife is to proceed carefully and methodically to build a body of evidence that demonstrates the clinical efficacy and safety of this system for the treatment of specific cancers.”

The purpose of the clinical trial is to study the safety and efficacy of IRE in the treatment of early stage liver cancer. While patient enrollment is underway in Pisa, the clinical trial has been initiated at three other sites including two medical centers in Germany and one in Spain. AngioDynamics plans that, in total, seven centers will participate in the study.

"The first patient treatment and ongoing enrollment in the HCC study represent important milestones in the Company's Irreversible Electroporation development program," said Jan Keltjens, AngioDynamics President and CEO. "Our strategy with NanoKnife is to proceed carefully and methodically to build a body of evidence that demonstrates the clinical efficacy and safety of this system for the treatment of specific cancers."

Updates on the status of the study, titled "A Prospective, Multi-Center, Clinical Trial Using Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) for the Treatment of Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)," can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

As of March 31, 2010, physicians have treated a total of 154 patients in 11 centers around the world, utilizing the NanoKnife IRE System. Procedures have been performed on many different organs, including prostate, liver, lung and pancreas.