Elekta to highlight continued innovation in stereotactic neurosurgery with Leksell Vantage Stereotactic System at AANS

Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) today announced that its Leksell^® Vantage™ Stereotactic System*, the company’s next-generation system for target localization and coordinate referencing for precision neurosurgery will be highlighted at Elekta booth 2139 at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Meeting, April 22-26 in Los Angeles. Leksell Vantage head frame is constructed of a novel epoxy composite and is designed to improve imaging quality, speed and patient comfort in neurosurgery procedures.

Vantage received CE Mark clearance in March 2017 and will be used this month in clinical practice for the first time in Europe at University Hospital La Timone (Marseilles, France), The Academic Medical Center (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queens Square (London, England) and Karolinska University Hospital (Stockholm, Sweden). The system is currently pending 510(k) clearance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Our Leksell Stereotactic System has been helping clinicians achieve outstanding patient outcomes for more than 60 years, and Vantage improves upon this gold standard platform to deliver uncompromising accuracy in stereotactic imaging and treatment,” says Jesper Söderqvist, Vice President Neuroscience Portfolio at Elekta. “With potential for faster imaging, more efficient workflow, reduced artifacts and a better overall user experience, Leksell Vantage is a welcome advancement for physicians and their patients.”

Leksell Gamma Knife featured in more than 15 abstracts

In addition to Vantage, Elekta will highlight its Leksell Gamma Knife® radiosurgery system. The most clinically studied stereotactic radiosurgery platform, Gamma Knife was highlighted in more than 15 scientific presentations at AANS, including:

• Abstract #1837: “Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Intractable Tremor-Dominant Parkinson Disease”; Ajay Niranjan, MD, MBA, Associate Professor, Neurological Surgery, Director UPMC Brain Mapping Center and Associate Director, Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. This study analyzed the outcomes of 33 patients who received Gamma Knife radiosurgery to treat medically refractory Parkinson’s disease (PD) tremor. At a mean follow-up period of 23 months, 23 patients (70.0 percent) had complete or nearly complete tremor arrest and nine (27.2 percent) experienced tremor arrest and improved ability to write, draw and drink fluids. Tremor resolution was maintained in 96.8 percent of individuals at last follow-up visit. Study investigators concluded that Gamma Knife is a safe and effective treatment for medically refractory PD tremor, especially in the elderly or individuals who are not suitable candidates for deep brain stimulation or thermal therapy.

• Abstract #2022: “Direct Comparison of Microsurgery and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery on Small Size Meningiomas”; Shyamal C. Bir, MD, PhD, post-doctoral fellow, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport and Anil Nanda MD, MPH, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport. In this study, investigators performed a retrospective review of 90 consecutive patients with small intracranial meningiomas (benign tumors arising from the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord) undergoing microsurgery (n= 31) or Gamma Knife radiosurgery (n=59). Study results demonstrated that Gamma Knife radiosurgery was associated with significantly higher local control of tumor growth compared with microsurgical resection at five and 10 years (p=0.02 and p=0.003, respectively). In addition, the median recurrence free survival period was also significantly higher in the Gamma Knife group (p=0.04).

The posters for Abstracts #1837 and #2022 are available through the AANS conference app.

“The inclusion of more than 15 data abstracts at this major neurosurgery conference underscores the fundamental role that Gamma Knife plays today in the treatment of cancer and other complex neurological disorders,” says Söderqvist. “These studies also highlight the potential of Gamma Knife to enable the treatment regimens of tomorrow, offering the enhanced radiation targeting and sparing of healthy tissue that is essential for optimum care and outcomes.”

Additional data presented during the conference (Abstract #2331) confirmed that Elekta’s Leksell Gamma Knife was the most frequently mentioned SRS system in a comprehensive clinical literature review with 11,638 citations out of 13,539 articles retrieved. Gamma Knife was also the most frequently cited SRS system in neurosurgical indications, including brain metastases (n=1037), arteriovenous malformation (n=734) and spinal metastases (n=184).

For more information on Gamma Knife, visit Elekta booth 2139 at AANS 2017 or www.gammaknife.com.

*Leksell® Vantage™ Stereotactic System is pending 510(k) clearance and not available for sale or distribution in the United States.  

# # #

For further information, please contact:
Gert van Santen, Group Vice President Corporate Communications, Elekta AB
Tel: +31 653 561 242, Email: [email protected]
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
 
Raven Canzeri, Global Public Relations Manager
Tel: +1 770 670 2524, Email: [email protected]
Time zone: EST: Eastern Standard Time
 
About Elekta
Elekta is proud to be the leading innovator of equipment and software used to improve, prolong and save the lives of people with cancer and brain disorders. Our advanced, effective solutions are created in collaboration with customers, and more than 6,000 hospitals worldwide rely on Elekta technology. Our treatment solutions and oncology informatics portfolios are designed to enhance the delivery of radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, and to drive cost efficiency in clinical workflows. Elekta employs 3,600 people around the world. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Elekta is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm. www.elekta.com