SuperSonic Imagine Announces the Completion of Patient Enrollment for Pivotal Liver Fibrosis Clinical Study in China

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE--(Marketwired - Jun 23, 2016) -  SuperSonic Imagine (EURONEXT PARIS: SSI) (FR0010526814), the highly innovative ultrasound company, announced completion of enrollment for a large prospective multicenter liver study in China. The study aims at evaluating the performance of SuperSonic Imagine's real-time ShearWave Elastography (SWE™) for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in Chinese patients with chronic Hepatitis B infection.

This study led by Prof. Ping Liang from the People's Liberation Army Hospital (301) in Beijing, has been conducted in 14 locations across China. All of the 400 Hepatitis B patients recruited for the study had an ultrasound exam, including SWE, to measure liver stiffness and guide liver biopsy, as well as a blood test analysis. As the enrollment and examination are now complete, the next step is to analyze the outcome of these exams and evaluate the correlation between SWE measurements and liver fibrosis, and ultimately assess the diagnostic performance of SWE.

"We are committed to improving the lives of patients with liver fibrosis as a result of Hepatitis B infection and are pleased to have completed enrollment in this key study," said Jacques Souquet, SuperSonic Imagine's Founder and Chief Innovation Officer. "Liver disease is a major health problem in China that affects over 300 million people¹. Our ShearWave Elastography exam offers clinicians a non-invasive option that has demonstrated its value to help with the assessment of liver disease^2-6 and clinical management of patients in several clinical publications^7-11.This prospective multicenter study in China will be a major step forward in the confirmation of this clinical value."

ShearWave Elastography is a non-invasive exam that provides a quantitative color coded map to visualize and quantify tissue stiffness during an examination. Liver stiffness increases with the severity of liver fibrosis, making it a key parameter for physicians to assess the severity of fibrosis. Over 70 international publications have demonstrated the reliability and effectiveness of SuperSonic Imagine's SWE in this area.

"Clinicians require the most advanced tools available to be able to better manage and treat liver diseases, as China accounts for 51% of the deaths from liver cancer alone worldwide¹," said the study's Principal Investigator Prof. Liang. "This study will provide new insights on ultrasound liver elasticity measurement and will help in evaluating the severity of intermediate stages of chronic liver fibrosis, which is key for effective treatment and management."