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NCI issues grant for choroidal melanoma plaque development
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Funding for the development of a radiation therapy method for choroidal melanoma was received by Implant Sciences Corp., the company announced last week. The $709,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute will help the company develop an improved brachytherapy plaque for choroidal melanoma.
The phase 2 grant will help fund the design and manufacture of plaques containing iodine-125 isotopes, according to a news release from Implant Sciences. Plaques with the I-125 isotopes “eliminate the large deviations from the prescription dose that can occur with current techniques,” according to the company statement.
In theory, the new plaques will cause less discomfort for the patient while delivering more effective tumor treatment, according to the statement.
“Subsequent clinical use is expected to show that a distributed I-125 plaque is both safe and effective for the treatment of choroidal melanoma and is an improvement over the seeded plaques currently in use,” the release stated.