ALF, Celsion partner to educate physicians about primary liver cancer treatments

Celsion CorporationSep 14 2009

Celsion Corporation (NASDAQ:CLSN) and the American Liver Foundation (ALF) announced today that they have formed a partnership to provide education to physicians and liver patients about the treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma (commonly referred to as primary liver cancer) and Celsion’s on-going ThermoDox Phase III global HEAT clinical study.

The partnership is comprised of multiple programs that roll out over several months to increase patient and physician awareness. Collaboratively, the two organizations have developed a webinar geared toward physicians that covers recent advances in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and features the ThermoDox® HEAT clinical study. The alliance also includes outreach programs to increase awareness through regional ALF Divisions and patient support groups. On September 26, 2009, Celsion is sponsoring ALF’s Liver Life Walk in Los Angeles which reaches an audience of 50,000 people. Celsion and ALF have also developed an integrated media strategy that reaches internet communities, radio audiences, Health fair attendees, and physician networks. Information about the ThermoDox® clinical trial is posted on ALF’s national website at: www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/livercancer

“We are very pleased to have formed a partnership with the American Liver Foundation who has been the voice for the 30 million Americans with liver disease and through the successful execution of its mission has made a measurable difference in the fight against liver disease,” stated Michael H. Tardugno, President and Chief Executive Officer.

“We are enthusiastic to partner with Celsion to provide information about the ThermoDox® clinical trial to our membership” stated Rick Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of the ALF. “ThermoDox® potentially provides an important new treatment option for primary liver cancer, an aggressive and difficult to treat cancer with a low five year survival rate”.

Celsion is conducting a 600 patient ThermoDox® global Phase III HEAT clinical study at up to sixty clinical sites under a Special Protocol Assessment with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The HEAT study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of ThermoDox® in combination with radio frequency ablation (RFA) when compared to patients who receive RFA alone as the control. The primary endpoint for the study is progression-free survival. Celsion has received Orphan Drug designation in the United States for ThermoDox® to treat primary liver cancer. Additional information on ThermoDox® clinical studies can be found at: www.clinicaltrials.gov