Faster, More Accurate Cancer Treatments on Horizon in Japan with Official Approval of Elekta’s Agility Beam-shaping Innovation for Radiation Therapy

TOKYO, July 31 - Following U.S. and European approvals of Elekta’s Agility™* MLC, Japan will join the international community of users of the beam-shaping device with the country’s PMDA clearance of Agility. The approval paves the way for the first clinical use of Agility in Japanese healthcare centers. Using a combination of 160 high-resolution tungsten leaves and dramatically faster leaf movement, Agility promises a new level of precision and delivery speed in radiation therapy treatments for patients with cancer.

An MLC, a device made up of numerous, individual tungsten “leaves,” is used to shape radiation therapy beams, which are delivered from different angles around the patient. Using twice the number of leaves typical of many standard MLC’s, Agility precisely sculpts delivered radiation to the distinctive contours of the tumor, while reducing the risk of exposure to healthy normal tissues.

Agility also includes ultra-fast leaf movements – twice as fast as other MLCs commonly used in the industry – enabling clinicians to further exploit the most advanced cancer therapies such as stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) and Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT). Further, with a new lower radiation leakage design, research has shown Agility can significantly reduce the patient’s non-therapeutic radiation exposure as compared to other conventional MLC’s.(1)

“Culminating from years of close collaboration with our worldwide clinical partners, we are extremely proud to introduce Agility in Japan,” says Tim Rooney, President & Managing Director, Elekta KK. “With Agility, not only will treatment times be faster, but patients also will benefit from this solution’s enhanced targeting capabilities, which are expected to improve treatment outcomes and reduce the risk of complications. The promise of these critical patient benefits has generated a great deal of interest in the Japanese radiation oncology community.”

Soon after Elekta received CE marking for Agility, permitting sales of the device in Europe, clinicians there began reporting significant gains in beam-shaping ability and delivery speed. Shorter treatment times have resulted in increased patient comfort and convenience, as well as improved the ability for caregivers to treat more patients each day.

Agility features include:

• 160 tungsten leaves, each 5 mm wide, with a leaf speed of up to 6.5 cm/sec
• Dedicated Integrity™ R3.0 software, Elekta’s seventh generation digital control system, to precisely coordinate leaf movements with variable dose delivery rates and other treatment parameters
• Integrated dynamic leaf guides streamline delivery and eliminate the need for “split fields,” commonly required with other MLC systems
• Large-field MLC will enable clinicians to shape radiation across fields of up to 40 X 40 cm

*Agility is not licensed for sale in all markets. Please contact your local representative for details

(1)Cosgrove, VP, Thompson, C, Chrisophides, D et al. (2009) Physical characterization of a new concept design of an Elekta Radiation Head with integrated 160-leaf multi-leaf collimator. Poster presented at ASTRO 2009.

The above information is such that Elekta AB (publ) shall make public in accordance with the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was published at 07:30 CET on July 31, 2012.

For further information, please contact:

Stina Thorman, Vice President Corporate Communications, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 8 587 254 37, email: [email protected]
Time zone: CET: Central European Time

Michelle Joiner, Director, Global Public Relations and Brand Management, Elekta
Tel: +1 770-670-2447, email: [email protected]
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time

Johan Andersson Melbi, Investor Relations Manager, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 702 100 451, email: [email protected]
Time zone: CET: Central European Time

About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives.

Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 6,000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,300 employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. Website: www.elekta.com.