ELEKTA RECEIVES ORDER TO DELIVER THE FIRST LEKSELL GAMMA KNIFE(R) PERFEXION™ TO INDIA
Stockholm, Sweden, May 2, 2007
Elekta today announced a new order from India for Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™, the world’s most advanced system for non-invasive radiosurgery of brain disorders including tumors, brain metastases and functional disorders. The purchase decision is an important step in the effort to improve quality and capacity of treatment of brain diseases for the entire northern part of India. The order also demonstrates that Elekta has earned a strong reputation in one of the most interesting emerging markets in the world as a company with state-of-the-art technology and clinical solutions for treatment of cancer and brain disorders.
The new order comes from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER) in the city of Chandigarh, Punjab, a 1,400 bed multi specialty and premier hospital providing state-of-the-art highly specialized care in all branches of medical sciences including neurosurgery.
The purchase of Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion will benefit a large number of patients in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, as well as patients from other parts of the country who can now be treated with this non-invasive state-of-the-art technology for treating various brain disorders including brain metastases.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious assignment”, comments Tomas Puusepp, President & CEO of Elekta. “The order to install Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion at PGIMER is to a large extent the result of the ability of this new system to streamline and speed up the radiosurgery procedures at high volume sites. Since its introduction a year ago, we have seen high interest in Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion from neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists worldwide and the demand has been high, particularly in the recent months”, Tomas Puusepp concludes.
PGIMER is a tertiary level institute which was established in 1962 by an Act of Parliament. It was the vision of the Chief Minister of Punjab (Mr. Pratap Singh Kairon) and the Prime Minister of India (Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru) which resulted in this institute being created. PGIMER is a ‘not-for-profit’ organization funded by the Central Government and the credo of the Institute is – “Patient Care, Teaching, and Research”. The Neurosurgery Department of PGIMER is one of the most advanced neurosurgical centers in the country with over 3,000 neurosurgical procedures performed per year. The workload in the Dept. of Neurosurgery has increased by almost 60 percent over the last five years and the waiting list for surgery is becoming longer.
With the new Leksell Gamma Knife installed, PGIMER will be able to treat a large number of patients who can return to normal life immediately after treatment without the risk of infection or other complications associated with open brain surgery. This will lead to more hospital beds being available for those patients requiring open surgery. The delivery of the equipment is expected to be made in early 2008.
“India is one of the fastest growing and emerging economies in the world with an increasing demand and a need for more cost efficient healthcare solutions. We are very pleased with this new order and we see this as a result of our long-term commitment to India which has the potential and demand for quality products in both radiation therapy and neurosciences. With a strong Elekta team and service organization in place, we are well equipped to serve both existing and potential new customers in this growing market”, says Percy Shroff, Managing Director, Elekta India.
Elekta has been supplying clinical solutions to India for more than 10 years and has a strong customer base in the country with numerous installations of Leksell Gamma Knife®, Leksell® Stereotactic System and linear accelerators. The Elekta office is located in New Delhi with sales and service personnel operating directly from strategic locations around the country.
Gamma Knife® surgery
Gamma Knife surgery is a non-invasive method for treating brain disorders. It is defined as the delivery of a single, high dose of radiation to a small and critically located intracranial volume through the intact skull. After Gamma Knife surgery, the patient normally leaves the hospital the same or the following day, making it a very cost effective alternative to open surgery.
Since its introduction, Leksell Gamma Knife has revolutionized the treatment of brain disorders. Today, this treatment is offered by hundreds of leading hospitals and clinics around the world. Around 50,000 patients undergo Gamma Knife surgery every year, and this unique procedure has earned an outstanding scientific track record with thousands of peer reviewed articles on treatment efficacy, improved quality of life for patients and cost efficiency.