NaviFUS is accelerating its innovative medical device development by partnering with Bracco, a leading brand in ultrasound contrast agents, to conduct a Phase III clinical trial for the non-invasive, precise treatment of recurrent glioblastoma. The trial is expected to commence in the second half of the year at National Taiwan University Hospital and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

In this collaboration, Bracco will provide microbubble contrast agents to be used in conjunction with NaviFUS' system as a platform for opening the blood-brain barrier. NaviFUS will first conduct various clinical trials and registrations for the treatment of brain cancer and neurological diseases. Upon obtaining market approval, Bracco will supply the microbubble products under private labeling and authorize NaviFUS to sell them as medical device consumables integrated with ultrasound therapy.

Bracco Imaging Spa is a European multinational healthcare group that primarily produces and sells diagnostic imaging contrast agents, including those for X-ray, CT, MRI, and ultrasound applications. Bracco operates in over 100 countries, employing 3,587 people globally, with seven R&D centers and nine manufacturing plants.

Dr. Arthur Lung, CEO of NaviFUS, stated that the company's two core technology platforms are the "Focused Ultrasound System" and the "Therapeutic Navigation Assistance System." By using non-invasive focused ultrasound combined with precise navigation to open the blood-brain barrier or achieve neural modulation, the efficacy of related drugs for brain diseases can be enhanced, or the disease sites can be directly targeted for therapeutic effects.

Currently, leading companies in the focused ultrasound treatment of brain diseases include Insightec from Israel, Carthera from France, and NaviFUS from Taiwan. Insightec and NaviFUS won the Edison Award's Gold Medal in 2018 and 2022, respectively, highlighting the international recognition of this technology.

Riding on the popularity of the Korean drama "Queen of Tears," where the main character undergoes "focused ultrasound and microbubble therapy" for a brain tumor, NaviFUS and Bracco's non-invasive focused ultrasound treatment for brain tumors has garnered significant attention.

Resource (mandarin): 浩宇腦瘤治療三期臨床試驗 H2啟動