WeiMu Medical Completes First Patient Enrollment in Pivotal Multicenter RCT of PVA Embolic Microspheres for TACE in Primary Liver Cancer, Led by Prof. Xiang Hua at Hunan Provincial People's Hospital

On March 8, 2022, the team led by Professor Xiang Hua at the Interventional Medicine Center of Hunan Provincial People's Hospital enrolled the first patient in Weimu Medical’s prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial titled “Evaluation of Polyvinyl Alcohol Embolization Microspheres for Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization in the Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer.” The enrollment of the first patient for polyvinyl alcohol embolization microspheres has laid a solid foundation for the early market launch of Weimu Medical’s products and represents a significant milestone.

According to the latest global cancer data released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization, China recorded approximately 410,000 new cases and 390,000 deaths from primary liver cancer in 2020, accounting for nearly half of the global incidence and mortality. This has made it the second most common cancer in China. Currently, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has become the mainstream core therapy for liver cancer. Its principle involves blocking the blood vessels supplying the tumor with embolic materials, thereby inducing ischemic necrosis of the tumor tissue to achieve therapeutic effects. The “Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Evaluating Polyvinyl Alcohol Embolic Microspheres for Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization in the Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer,” conducted by Weimu Medical, is designed precisely to evaluate the efficacy and safety of polyvinyl alcohol embolic microspheres when used in TACE for liver cancer treatment.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) embolic microspheres are among the earliest developed and most technologically advanced products in Weimu Medical’s portfolio for tumor intervention, particularly within treatment regimens involving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for intermediate-to-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Weimu Medical’s PVA embolic microspheres utilize a unique one-step manufacturing process, which simplifies procedures, enhances production efficiency, and yields superior product quality. These microspheres feature a smooth surface and excellent variable elasticity, allowing them to be compressed by up to 70% and rapidly recover their original shape. This ensures perfect conformability with blood vessels in vivo, resulting in dense and reliable embolization. Among the limited number of drug-eluting microspheres currently available on the market, Weimu Medical’s PVA embolic microspheres are comparable to clinically established products in key technical parameters such as maximum drug loading capacity, drug loading time, drug release rate, and elution efficiency. Certain indicators even surpass those of similar competing products, fully demonstrating Weimu Medical’s strong research and development capabilities.

The clinical trial of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) embolic microspheres by Weimu Medical, with Hunan Provincial People's Hospital as the lead institution, involves nearly 10 clinical centers across China. The first patient enrollment procedure was performed by Professor Xiang Hua and Associate Professor Sun Lin from the Interventional Medicine Center of Hunan Provincial People's Hospital. All test indicators of the enrolled patient fully met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the trial. The successful surgery marks an acceleration in the localization process of PVA embolic microsphere products for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment of liver cancer, providing domestic liver cancer patients with more and better benefits in the selection and application of drug-eluting microspheres.

Furthermore, as a high-end interventional medical device company based on innovative materials, Weimu Medical has leveraged its profound background in material research and development to pioneer the development of a varicose vein closure adhesive for the treatment of lower extremity varicose veins. Currently, clinical trials for Weimu Medical’s varicose vein closure adhesive are underway, and ethical approval from the lead investigative site has been obtained. In the future, Weimu Medical’s varicose vein closure adhesive is poised to become the first domestic product to achieve therapeutic efficacy consistent with Medtronic’s VenaSeal, thereby further enhancing Weimu Medical’s product portfolio.

Shanghai Weimu Medical Technology Co., Ltd. is the first high-end interventional medical device company in China based on innovative materials. The company’s R&D focuses on high-end interventional medical devices utilizing innovative materials, targeting areas such as oncology, medical aesthetics, and pan-vascular interventions. Its product portfolio includes various medical microspheres and delivery systems, liquid adhesives, and hydrogels. Committed to innovation-driven development, Weimu Medical specializes in the translation of innovative material technologies into clinical applications, striving to create maximum value for physicians and patients, deliver premium services, and establish itself as China’s most innovative medical device company.