BTG plc (BTG), a global specialist healthcare company, announced the launch of LC Bead LUMI in the US, the first commercially available radiopaque embolic bead for the embolization of hypervascular tumours and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). LC Bead LUMI is a next generation development of LC Bead, the market leading embolic bead.

The unique visibility of LC Bead LUMI during and after embolization supports the optimization of patient treatment by enabling real-time visible confirmation of bead location during the procedure. This provides interventional radiologists more control, while at the same time facilitating discovery of regions of under-treatment, allowing precise evaluation of the completeness of tumour treatment and enhanced end-point determination, with long-lasting radiopacity to support follow-up management.

LC Bead LUMI is the first commercially available radiopaque embolic bead cleared by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the embolization of hypervascular tumours and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). LC Bead LUMI provides visible confirmation of bead location during the procedure. The lasting radiopacity of LC Bead LUMI means they will also be visible in follow-up scans.

"The launch of LC Bead LUMI has the potential to be a real game-changer in the field of embolization," commented Raj Narayanan, Associate Professor of Clinical Radiology at the University of Miami. "Not only does it provide doctors and patients with reassurance that the tumour has been treated in its entirety, but it allows interventional radiologists like me to refine treatment as we go, with the subsequent prospect of improved outcomes for patients."

LC Bead LUMI has been developed on the same technology platform and to the same high standard as LC Bead, building upon its market leading clinical performance.

"With the launch of LC Bead LUMI, BTG is helping to ensure embolization technology achieves its full potential," commented Ken Pugh, BTG Vice President, Commercial Development and Interventional Oncology Marketing, the Americas. "The potential benefits of LC Bead LUMI are significant - it represents a new level of control and offers the unique opportunity to individualize patient treatment in order to help doctors see more and treat smarter, while at the same time providing reassurance to patients that the treatment is getting to where it needs to be. At BTG, we're passionate about the potential of LC Bead LUMI and the power of interventional oncology to improve human health."

The launch represents the first market commercialization for LC Bead LUMI, with regulatory clearances and launches planned for additional radiopaque bead products worldwide.