GenesisCare announced today that it enrolled the first patients in a trial for Boston Scientific’s (NYSE:BSX) SpaceOAR Vue hydrogel.

Boston Scientific’s SpaceOAR Vue hydrogel will be evaluated in the SABRE trial, sponsored by Boston Scientific, for prostate cancer patients receiving stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Marlborough, Mass.-based Boston Scientific has developed the SpaceOAR since its $600 million acquisition of Augmenix in September 2018. The absorbable polyethylene glycol hydrogel spacer won CE Mark approval in the European Union in 2010 and 510(k) clearance from the FDA in April 2015 and is designed for separating the prostate from the rectal wall during radiation treatment for prostate cancer.

SpaceOAR Vue creates a temporary space between the prostate and the rectum in an effort to reduce the radiation dose to the rectum, minimizing the impact on patients’ urinary, sexual and bowel functions.

GenesisCare radiation oncologists Dr. Thomas Boike (Troy, Michigan) and Dr. John E. Sylvester (Bradenton, Florida) are participating in the trial and were among the first to offer access to the hydrogel as part of the trial.

“Since we use the most advanced and innovative radiotherapy as a standard, we look for ways to extend the effectiveness of SBRT, so a minimal amount of healthy tissue is exposed during treatment,” Boike said in a news release. “With most patients eager to take action immediately after diagnosis, advances like SpaceOAR Vue Hydrogel from Boston Scientific plays a significant and important role in patients’ quality of life and prostate cancer treatment journey.”