Optune Lua (pancreatic cancer treatment device)

History

2025: Product Announcement

In mid-August 2025, Novocure announced the release of the Optune Lua wearable device designed to treat pancreatic cancer. Previously, a similar system was approved for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The principle of Optune Lua is to use electric fields to combat malignancy (Tumor Treating Fields - TTFiields). Such fields affect tumor cells, causing disruption of the mitotic cycle. In particular, the electrically charged components of cancer cells are affected, which prevents their normal functioning.

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Фото: Novocure

Therapy is carried out through special lattices of transducers that are superimposed on the body in the neoplasm area. Using these arrays, Optune Lua continuously delivers TTField electric fields to the tumor localization site, resulting in slower development or even death of cancer cells.

The system weighs about 1.2 kg, and the battery pack provides power. You can carry the device in a special backpack, which allows you to simultaneously receive therapy and engage in daily activities. Data from a PANOVA-3 study evaluating TTFiields together with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (GnP) as first-line therapy in adults with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma compared with GnP alone support the efficacy of the Optune Lua system.

Bringing the device to market, as noted by Ashley Cordova, CEO of Novocure, reflects the company's desire to provide patients with an innovative method of treating malignancies, including pancreatic cancer and NSCLC.^[1]

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