Novocure said on Monday its experimental therapy extended the lives of patients with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer when combined with chemotherapy, achieving the primary goal in a late-stage trial.

The therapy uses Tumor Treating Fields, or electric fields, to kill cancer cells while sparing most nearby healthy cells, using a portable device placed on the skin near the tumor.

In the study, TTFields therapy concomitant with chemotherapy helped patients live for an average of 16.20 months, compared to 14.16 months in patients treated with chemotherapy alone, Novocure said.

The treatment's safety was consistent with prior clinical studies, the company said.

The therapy also helped improve survival rates over time, according to Novocure. The rate of overall survival, or the length of time a patient lives from the start of treatment, improved by 13% at 12 months and by 33% at 24 months, the company said.

Source: MEDspace