Elekta and ADAC announce strategic alliance for complete IMRT Planning and Delivery Solution

Elekta and ADAC announce strategic alliance for complete IMRT Planning and Delivery SolutionElekta and ADAC join forces to offer more hospitals a complete, comprehensive clinical solution for Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Treatment (IMRT) through integration of ePinnacle - a newly developed version of the highly successful Pinnacle3 radiotherapy treatment planning system, which is to be exclusively offered with the advanced digital platform of the Elekta Precise Treatment System®. ADAC Laboratories, a Philips Medical Systems Company and Elekta Oncology Systems announced today that the companies have signed a global agreement, establishing a strategic alliance that will utilize the strengths of both by combining ADAC expertise in inverse planning with Elekta's world leadership in linear accelerator design. The scope of the partnership encompasses joint marketing, sales, support, and development programs, leveraging strengths in each manufacturer's respective product segments and market regions - ultimately making it easier for more hospitals to use the latest technology advancements in providing the most accurate and effective cancer treatment to their patients. Gary Burbach, ADAC's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "this agreement represents a unique opportunity to extend the reach of our market-leading Pinnacle radiation therapy planning technology and to continue to expand upon its capabilities for our customers." "IMRT, which allows doctors to target tumors in cancer patients much more aggressively and with greater precision, involves a complex sequence of processes, including planning, prescription transfer to a linear accelerator, treatment delivery and delivery verification", stated Peter Gaccione, Vice President of Elekta Oncology Systems. "In order to make the benefits of IMRT available to more hospitals and their patients on a routine basis, practical, clinical solutions are required. Through this partnership our customers now have access to a completely integrated IMRT process, with best-in-class solutions packaged together very competitively, making one-stop IMRT shopping with Elekta very attractive." Ian Farmer, ADAC's Senior Vice President and General Manager adds, "Elekta's confidence in our Pinnacle 3D treatment planning and IMRT is further evidence and recognition of the superior clinical solutions these products offer, we are excited about being able to supply a new group of customers through this agreement." The solution is the first and only IMRT system on the market that comes complete with integrated Record & Verify - meaning direct exchange of information between planning and delivery systems - eliminating an additional purchase requirement for the hospital. The Elekta and ADAC alliance takes full advantage of the built-in verification capabilities of the Precise Treatment System® to provide an easy-to-use, yet totally secure patient prescription. Seamless information transfer between ePinnacle and the linear accelerator is enabled by the open connectivity inherent in the sophisticated design of Precise Treatment System®. Together this package provides hospitals with an integrated and more efficient working environment, streamlining the radiotherapy process and allowing providers to focus more directly on the clinical care of their patients, rather than the technology. "We already have several installations in place, both in Europe and the United States, which will begin treating patients with IMRT within the next couple months", stated Stephen Sledge, Product Marketing Manager for Elekta Treatment Planning. ELEKTA is the world's 2nd largest supplier of radiation oncology and radiosurgery solutions for precise radiotherapy and neurosurgery. Elekta Precise Solutions includes a comprehensive range of non-invasive cancer care and minimally invasive neurosurgery systems including radiosurgery and stereotaxy, backed by a global network of clinical, technical and financial support services. Radiotherapy products include Elekta Precise Treatment System® utilizing digital technology in linear accelerators and multi-leaf collimators, PreciseSIM® treatment simulator, Stereotactic Body Frame® and 3D-CRT and IMRT dose-planning systems. Neurosurgery products include Leksell Gamma Knife® and Leksell Stereotactic System®. ADAC Laboratories, a Philips Medical Systems company, is a world leader in nuclear medicine and radiation therapy planning systems, and an emerging leader in positron emission tomography (PET) and virtual simulation for radiation therapy. ADAC's broad line of gamma cameras, PET imaging systems, workstations and clinical software applications provide information used primarily for the diagnosis of cancer and cardiac disease. Additional information about ADAC can be found on its web site at www.adaclabs.com For further information please contact: North America Stephen Sledge, Elekta Oncology SystemsTel: (770) 300-9725, e-mail:stephen.sledge@elekta.com Outside North AmericaAndrew Davies, Elekta Oncology Systems, Ltd.Tel: + 44 1293 654660, e-mail: andrew.davies@elekta.com------------------------------------------------------------This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.netThe following files are available for download:http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2001/07/19/20040524BIT20790/wkr0006.pdf