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Insightec reports success in Parkinson's study
The company's noninvasive focused ultrasound ExAblate Neuro system is designed 
to treat chronic neurological disorders.
21 September 11 12:00, Globes' correspondent
inShare2 
 
InSightec Ltd. today reported success in a clinical trial of its noninvasive 
focused ultrasound ExAblate Neuro system to treat chronic neurological 
disorders. The trial of 30 patients in Switzerland and the US tested the 
device's safety and initial efficacy in the treatment of essential tremor, 
neuropathic pain and Parkinson’s disease. ExAblate Neuro is the first clinical 
system to use MR guided focused ultrasound through an intact skull, combining 
focused ultrasound and real time MR guidance and control, to treat tissue deep 
in the brain without incisions or cutting or ionizing radiation. The system is 
limited to investigational use. 
InSightec will conduct more trials to evaluate the technology's ability to 
reduce the risk of complications and side-effects, and to see whether it could 
provide treatment for individuals for whom surgery is currently not an option, 
or refuse an intervention of the brain. InSightec plans to additional clinical 
trials of the ExAblate Neuro for brain tumors, stroke and targeted drug 
delivery to the brain. 
InSightec VP of R&D Eyal Zadicario said, "The concept of using focused 
ultrasound for non-invasive treatment of brain disorders has been recognized 
for many years, however, vast technical barriers had to be overcome to enable 
this modality to become a reality." He added, "ExAblate Neuro has demonstrated 
the ability to ablate targets deep in the brain with high precision. The 
initial results have been encouraging. This gives us hope that this treatment 
alternative could in the future become a significant addition to the 
physicians’ armamentarium in treating functional brain diseases." 
For patients who do not respond to drug treatments for neurological disorders, 
procedures include deep brain stimulation, radiofrequency ablation, 
radiosurgery which are either invasive or involve ionizing radiation. These 
are associated with recognized risks: either high doses of ionizing radiation 
or high risk of complications and side effects. 
Mordechay Zisser controls Insightec through Elbit Imaging Ltd. (Nasdaq: EMITF; 
TASE: EMIT) subsidiary Elbit Medical Technologies Ltd. (TASE:EMTC). Elbit 
Imaging rose 8.2% on Nasdaq yesterday to $2.37, giving a market cap of $60 
million, and rose 3.3% by midday on the TASE today to NIS 8.42. Elbit 
Medical's share price rose 0.6% to NIS 0.17, giving a market cap of NIS 132 
million.

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