Teleflex introduces Barrigel Rectal Spacer in Japan for prostate cancer radiotherapy

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US-based Teleflex Incorporated, a leading global provider of medical technologies, has announced that Barrigel rectal spacer is now available for purchase in Japan, effective immediately following regulatory approval, insurance coverage acceptance and appropriate use criteria issuance by Japanese academic societies.

First cases commenced earlier this month following the approval from the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) for Barrigel rectal spacer, the first and only sculptable non-animal stabilised hyaluronic acid (NASHA) rectal spacer proven to significantly reduce radiation that reaches the rectum during prostate radiation therapy.

In 2022, prostate cancer was the most common cancer among men in Japan, with 104,318 new cases—accounting for 18 percent of all cancer diagnoses nationwide. Barrigel rectal spacer is indicated for prostate cancer patients with T1-T3b disease.

A US clinical study found that 98 percent of men who were treated with Barrigel rectal spacer met the primary endpoint of achieving at least a 25 percent reduction in radiation to the rectum. Patients who met the primary endpoint averaged an 85 percent reduction in rectal V54 Gy radiation to the rectum, and Barrigel rectal spacer is proven superior in the reduction of acute and long-term Grade 1+ GI toxicity at 3 and 6 months compared to control.

Barrigel rectal spacer has been proven to significantly reduce unwanted side effects from prostate cancer radiation therapy and is cleared for rectal spacing in the United States, Australia, Europe and Japan. Barrigel rectal spacer is indicated for prostate cancer patients with T1-T3b disease.