Elekta collaborates with leading New York cancer center to continue development of clinical protocols for MR-linac technology
STOCKHOLM, February 27, 2018 – Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) has entered into a research agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), a world leader in patient care, research and education programs, located in New York City, through which MSK will use an MR-linac system to investigate new treatment standards, imaging protocols, and treatment planning methodologies across various cancer indications.
The Elekta MR-linac system is groundbreaking because it overcomes the technical barriers that have hindered the integration of radiation therapy with real-time high-field 1.5 Tesla (T) MR imaging. It is the only system to truly unlock the imaging capabilities of magnetic resonance/radiation therapy (MR/RT) by using a 1.5T magnet. The system also uses advanced delivery techniques that are used for stereotactic radiotherapy applications today. As a result of its cutting-edge design, the full capabilities of advanced radiation and high-field MR imaging are preserved and uniquely available in one platform, allowing clinicians to see what they treat in real time offering each patient truly personalized therapy.
“Elekta’s MR-linac is designed to enable precise tumor targeting through visualizing the target and surrounding organs at risk in real time,” said Dr Richard Hausmann, Chief Executive Officer of Elekta. “For decades, the inability to visualize the treatment area in real time has limited our ability to develop treatment plans that increase radiation delivery to tumor targets while limiting exposure of healthy tissues and organs at risk. The Elekta MR-linac has the potential to overcome this limitation and we are pleased to have MSK’s world-class research teams engaged in exploring and optimizing the system’s capabilities.”
Elekta’s MR-linac was developed in collaboration with the seven founding members of the Elekta MR-linac Consortium, an international group of leading cancer centers, and more than 200 experts who evaluate the technology, establish clinical protocols and conduct clinical studies of the MR-linac platform. Elekta’s MR-linac has been reviewed in more than 120 scientific papers related to MR/RT.
Other MR-linac global sites include Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) in Guangzhou, China, and Townsville Cancer Centre in Queensland, Australia. These two centers have each recently acquired an MR-linac system to treat patients once the appropriate regulatory authorities have approved the system for clinical use. These acquisitions represent the fifth MR-linac in China and the first in the southern hemisphere, respectively, reflecting the growing interest among leading global cancer centers in collaborating with the MR-linac Consortium.
MSK’s research MR-linac will be booked in the fourth quarter of Elekta’s 2017/18 fiscal year, while SYSUCC and Townsville were booked in the third quarter.
Elekta MR-linac is a work in progress and not available for sale or distribution.
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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