InSightec Image Guided Treatment Ltd. today announced that its Exablate MR-guided focused ultrasound technology was successfully used for non-invasive treatment of brain disorders. The Exablate system uses focused ultrasound to ablate tissue, without the need for invasive surgery. It is already used to remove uterine fibroids.
A team at the University Children's Hospital Zurich has completed a feasibility study testing the use of non-invasive transcranial MR-guided focused ultrasound surgery for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Ten adult patients diagnosed with chronic neuropathic pain successfully underwent non-invasive deep brain ablation surgery (thalamotomy) with the technique and showed improvement in pain scores and reduction of pain medication with no adverse effects after three months of follow-up. This study was the first to test non-invasive transcranial focused ultrasound as a treatment for functional brain disorders.
InSightec president and CEO Dr. Kobi Vortman said, "The neuropathic pain study performed at Zurich demonstrated the feasibility to treat these patients non-invasively without adverse events and with very favorable preliminary efficacy.
"The results of this study set the ground for extensive brain study addressing the areas of functional diseases like Parkinson's disease and epilepsy, brain tumors and stroke. This technology has the potential to help significant amount of patients while reducing trauma and morbidity. To advance this study, InSightec is collaborating with leading neurosurgery and neurology institutes around the world."
InSightec is based in Tirat Hacarmel, near Haifa. It has more than 160 employees.
Elbit Imaging Ltd. (Nasdaq: EMITF; TASE: EMIT) owns 58.34% of InSightec. Elbit Imaging's share rose 1.7% on Nasdaq yesterday to $19.19. The share rose 6.1% in morning trading to NIS 80.20. InSightec's other shareholders are General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), MediTech Advisors LLC and employees.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 14, 2009
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