Elekta’s Versa HD radiation therapy system now available for treatment of cancer patients in Japan
TOKYO, Japan, September 2, 2014 – Cancer care providers in Japan have the opportunity to strengthen their cancer treatment capacity with the recent clearance of Elekta’s Versa HD™ by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Versa HD is an advanced radiation treatment system designed to enhance the management of cancer care and treat a broad spectrum of tumors throughout the body. In a single system, Versa HD is capable of delivering conventional therapies for a wide range of indications commonly seen in the clinic, while also permitting treatment of complex cancers that require exceptional targeting accuracy.
The clearance of Versa HD in Japan follows CE marking of the system from the European Union and 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013.
An official report* put the number of cancer deaths in 2012 in Japan at approximately 361,000, with the number of male cancer deaths 1.5 times greater than female cancer deaths. Lung cancer was the most prevalent for men at 24 percent, followed by stomach (15 percent), colorectal (12 percent), liver (9.3 percent) and pancreas (7.2 percent). Among women, the most common cancer was colorectal at 15 percent, followed by lung (13.8 percent), stomach (11.6 percent), pancreas (10 percent) and breast (8.6 percent).
“The Ministry’s clearance of Versa HD is an important step in addressing serious increases in cancer incidences and deaths in Japan,” says Shuichi Higaki, President and Managing Director, Elekta Japan. “With its high precision beam shaping and tumor targeting technologies – in addition to three times higher dose rate delivery than our previous treatment systems – Versa HD offers patients in Japan the chance for a better outcome.”
Learn more at www.VersaHD.com.
*Cancer Statistics in Japan – 2013. Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research (FPCR)
Versa HD is not for sale or distribution in all markets.
# # #
For further information, please contact:
Gert van Santen, Group Vice President Corporate Communications, Elekta AB
Tel: +31 653 561 242, e-mail: [email protected]
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
Johan Andersson, Director, Investor Relations, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 702 100 451, e-mail: [email protected]
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
Raven Canzeri, Global Public Relations Manager, Elekta
Tel: +1 770-670-2524, e-mail: [email protected]
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time
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 September 2, 2014.
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 health care 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 3,800 employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker STO:EKTAB. Website: www.elekta.com.