Nordion to Launch Improved Physician Tools for TheraSphere® Liver Cancer Treatment at SIR Annual Scientific Meeting 2012

Company will also present expert speakers and introduce new iPad app

OTTAWA, March 23, 2012 /CNW/ - Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ), a leading provider of products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, will be attending the Society for Interventional Radiologists (SIR) Annual Scientific Meeting 2012, taking place March 24-29 in San Francisco. The company will introduce several new or updated physician education tools and resources for TheraSphere®, Nordion's Y-90 microsphere treatment for liver cancer.

"With more than 5,000 physicians, scientists and healthcare professionals in attendance, SIR represents one of the most important annual medical meetings Nordion attends," says Peter Covitz, Nordion Senior Vice President, Innovation. "SIR provides an opportunity to connect directly with our key users, share the latest information about TheraSphere, listen to feedback, and respond to questions firsthand."

Nordion representatives will be at Booth #1234 to talk about TheraSphere. The company will host two "Eat and Be Educated" learning sessions at the booth:

Sunday, March 25, 12:15pm
How TheraSphere Y-90 Glass Microspheres Fits in Our Treatment Algorithm
Matthew Johnson, MD
Professor of Radiology and Surgery
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN

Tuesday March 27, 12:15pm
TheraSphere Multi-Vessel Delivery
Siddharth Padia, MD
Assistant Professor, Interventional Radiologist
University of Washington - Harbourview Medical Center
Seattle, WA

Each session will be followed by a Nordion presentation on how to start a TheraSphere program.

Other Nordion TheraSphere activities at SIR include:

• Launch of the:
• New custom dose feature in Europe and Canada*
• Updated Treatment Window Illustrator tool to assist physicians with dose selection
• New animated video demonstrating how TheraSphere works
• Preview of the upcoming TheraSphere iPad app
• Participation in SIR's Residents in Training program

* Nordion has filed a request with the Food and Drug Administration for approval of the custom dose feature in the United States.

About TheraSphere
TheraSphere is a liver cancer therapy that consists of millions of small glass beads (20 to 30 micrometers in diameter) containing radioactive yttrium-90 (Y-90). The product is injected by physicians into the artery of the patient's liver through a catheter, which allows the treatment to be delivered directly to the tumour via blood flow.

In the US, TheraSphere is used to treat patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer, and can be used as a bridge to surgery or transplantation in these patients.  It is also indicated for the treatment of HCC patients with portal vein thrombosis (PVT).  TheraSphere is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE). HDE approvals are based on demonstrated safety and probable clinical benefit. However, effectiveness of the indication for use has not been established.

TheraSphere® is used in the European Union and in Canada for the treatment of hepatic neoplasia in patients who have appropriately positioned arterial catheters.

Common side effects include mild to moderate fatigue, pain and nausea for about a week. Physicians describe these symptoms as similar to those of the flu. Some patients experience some loss of appetite and temporary changes in several blood tests. For details on rare or more severe side effects, please refer to the TheraSphere package insert/instructions for use at www.nordion.com/therasphere.

About Nordion Inc. 
Nordion Inc. (TSX: NDN) (NYSE: NDZ) is a global health science company that provides market-leading products used for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading provider of medical isotopes, targeted therapies and sterilization technologies that benefit the lives of millions of people in more than 60 countries around the world. Our products are used daily by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical-device manufacturers, hospitals, clinics and research laboratories. Nordion has more than 500 highly skilled employees in three locations. Find out more at www.nordion.com and follow us at http://twitter.com/NordionInc.

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SOURCE: Nordion