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UCI Health pancreatic cancer laser therapy trial

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2026-09-11 20:54 UTC → 2026-10-05 21:13 UTC · added ~~removed~~

UCI Health is conducting a first-in-human, phase 1 clinical trial using vascular targeted photodynamic therapy (VTP) to treat localized but inoperable pancreatic tumors. Developed by Israel-based ImPact Biotech, the treatment uses a light-sensitive drug called padeliporfin to destroy tumors encasing major abdominal arteries. The goal of the therapy is to clear these vessels of tumor tissue to make patients eligible for life-saving surgical procedures. Of the six patients treated in the trial so far, four were able to undergo surgery to remove remaining tumor tissue, with three of those patients showing no evidence of cancer cells at the surgical margins. This experimental technique involves administering padeliporfin and using a specific wavelength of light delivered via an optical fiber inside the artery. By damaging the small vessels feeding the tumor tissue near the artery, researchers aim to free the vessel for safe surgical intervention. This approach addresses a critical challenge in treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, where tumors wrapping around major abdominal arteries often make surgical removal too dangerous.

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