DGAP-News: MagForce AG: Inauguration ceremony marks official opening of new NanoTherm Treatment Center at Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, Poland

MagForce AG: Inauguration ceremony marks official opening of new NanoTherm Treatment Center at Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, Poland

• Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin is the first hospital outside of Germany to offer NanoTherm Therapy for the treatment of brain tumor patients
• Faster access to therapy after diagnosis adressing high unmet medical need in Poland

Berlin, Germany and Lublin, Poland, April 4, 2019 - MagForce AG (Frankfurt, Scale, XETRA: MF6, ISIN: DE000A0HGQF5), a leading medical device company in the field of nanomedicine focused on oncology, is pleased to announce the official opening of the new NanoTherm treatment center for brain tumors at the Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin ("Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny Nr 4 w Lublinie", SPSK4), Poland.

The new NananoTherm treatment center was officialy inaugurated yesterday, April 3, 2019, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by an invitation-only reception. Invited guests ranging from government officals, scientific researchers, patient organisations and members of the press celebrated the joyous occasion which noted a step forward in patient care. Participants of the ceremony were Krzysztof Żuk, Mayor of the City of Lublin, as well as representatives from MagForce and SPSK4, who gave remarks at the event. Dr Radoslaw Starownik Director of the SPSK4, commented on the opening: "I am glad that a highly innovative method of treatment for patients with brain tumors will be available in our hospital. It seems obvious that as one of the leading centers in the country dealing with the treatment of this type of diseases we are looking for the latest medical solutions to provide our patients with therapy at the highest world level. I would like to note that the treatment will be available to both patients from Poland and neighboring countries."

Krzysztof Żuk, Mayor of the City of Lublin, praised SPSK4's pioneering role in the provision of the new innovative treatment: "In recent years, Lublin has developed into a metrolpolis, becoming the leader of Eastern Poland and one of the most dynamically growing cities of the country. With health protection and healthcare services being one of the key economic sectors in our city, and at the heart of the well-being of our citizens, we strive to create the right conditions for further development and stimulate new innovative undertakings enhancing the quality of our healthcare. I am, therefore, very excited that one of our principal hospitals is once again taking on a leading role by pioneering another innovative treatment option that could make a huge difference for patients diagnosed with brain cancer."

The NanoTherm treatment center at SPSK4 will be headed by Prof. Dr. hab. n. med. Tomasz Trojanowski, Head and Chairman of the Neurosurgery and Paediatric Neurosurgery Departments, State Consultant in Neurosurgery and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Minister of Health, together with Prof. Dr. hab. n. med. Radoslaw Rola a new Head and Chairman of the Neurosurgery and Paediatric Neurosurgery Departments in SPSK4 in Lublin.

Dr. Ben Lipps, Chief Executive Officer of MagForce AG, added: "We are extremely pleased that the NanoTherm treatment center is now ready for use and Prof. Trojanowski and Prof. Radoslaw Rola, together with their team will be able to hit the ground running. With our innovative therapy, we are forging new paths in order to treat cancer successfully and gently. It is our aim, to make NanoTherm available to brain cancer patientes in Europe. Today, we are one step closer to this goal."

The collaboration with Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin will be supported by the efforts of the Alivia Cancer Foundation, Poland. The Foundation's mission is to mobilize, empower and educate cancer patients, as well as give them the tools and necessary means to make decisions regarding their own health.

Notes for editors:

Photos from the event
Complementary photo material on the event is available at https://www.magforce.com/mediacenter/

Bringing innovation to the patient: Access to new treatment options in Poland remains a high unmet medical need
According to estimates, every fourth inhabitant of Poland is diagnosed with cancer during their life, and every fifth will die from it. Although recent years have brought about rapid progress in the knowledge of pathomechanisms underlying each cancer, and cancer itself, contributing to many new drugs and therapies being launched onto the market, access to effective treatment options in Poland remain limited. As a result, the average Pole has a lower chance to survive 5 years with cancer compared to citizens of other European countries.^[1]

SPSK4 in Lublin is the first hospital outside of Germany to offer MagForce's NanoTherm therapy for the commercial treatment of brain tumor patients. The cooperation agreement, announced in June of 2018, will provide brain cancer patients with faster access to the therapy after diagnosis whilst allowing Polish patients to be treated with NanoTherm therapy in their home country. Due to the aggressive nature of glioblastoma, timely availability is a decisive factor in the treatment of brain tumors as there is only a narrow window for patients to receive treatment.

The Role of NanoTherm Therapy in the Treatment of Brain Tumors
NanoTherm therapy is a relatively new procedure for the focal treatment of solid tumors. Summarised in simple terms: Magnetic nanoparticles are introduced either directly into the tumor or into the resection cavity wall. These particles are subsequently heated by an alternating magnetic field, thus destroying the cancer cells.

Nanoparticles are tiny particles of iron oxide that are suspended - very finely distributed - in water, having a diameter of approximately 15 nanometres - while one nanometer corresponds one millionth millimetre. As soon as they are applied, they agglomerate and remain like an implant in the tissue to be treated. An alternating magnetic field, which changes its polarity up to 100,000 times per second, subsequently causes the particles to generate heat.

Depending on the therapeutic temperatures reached in the tumor or in individual remaining cancer cells in the resection cavity wall and the length of treatment, cancer cells are thereby irreparably destroyed, or they are weakened and made more sensitive to concomitant radiotherapy or chemotherapy. The way in which the nanoparticles are applied is decided individually by the attending neurosurgeon.

This new technology makes it possible to fight the tumor from the inside out or to ensure that individual remaining tumor cells in the resection cavity wall - which may be responsible for recurrence - can be fought and destroyed after the surgical removal of the tumor. The surrounding healthy tissue is spared since the particles remain at the site of application due to their special surface structure.

About Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, Poland
The Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin is the largest hospital in Lublin Province, comprising 22 highly specialized clinics and providing learning and research facilities for the Medical University in Lublin. The hospital serves patients from Lublin province as well as from other regions of the country and abroad. Over 1,600 patients receive surgery yearly, and about 6,000 consultations are given in an outpatient neurosurgical clinic.

In July 2010, due to high quality of the provided services and extensive treatment and diagnosis facilities, by the decision of the Minister of Health, the IPC Hospital no. 4 became a Trauma Centre for Lublin Province. In 2012 the hospital became one of the few hospitals in Poland that own a positron emission tomography scanner (PET).

About MagForce AG and MagForce USA, Inc.
MagForce AG, listed in the Scale segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (MF6, ISIN: DE000A0HGQF5), together with its subsidiary MagForce USA, Inc. is a leading medical device company in the field of nanomedicine focused on oncology. The Group's proprietary NanoTherm^(R) therapy enables the targeted treatment of solid tumors through the intratumoral generation of heat via activation of superparamagnetic nanoparticles.

NanoTherm^(R), NanoPlan^(R), and NanoActivator^(R) are components of the therapy and have received EU-wide regulatory approval as medical devices for the treatment of brain tumors. MagForce, NanoTherm, NanoPlan, and NanoActivator are trademarks of MagForce AG in selected countries.

For more information, please visit: www.magforce.com.
Get to know our Technology: video (You Tube)
Stay informed and subscribe to our mailing list

Disclaimer
This release may contain forward-looking statements and information which may be identified by formulations using terms such as "expects", "aims", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "seeks", "estimates" or "will". Such forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and certain assumptions, which may be subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties. The results actually achieved by MagForce AG may substantially differ from these forward-looking statements. MagForce AG assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements or to correct them in case of developments, which differ from those, anticipated.