RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) and Nucletron BV are now initiating cooperation in treatment planning of proton radiation therapy of cancer. Today, the companies entered into a long-term development and license agreement that will result in a pioneering system for treatment planning and optimization of radiation therapy with protons. The new system, which is being built by RaySearch, will be integrated in Nucletron’s treatment planning system Oncentra™ MasterPlan.
”We are now moving into the field of treatment planning for proton therapy, a step that is in line with RaySearch’s business idea to provide innovative software for more effective radiation therapy. This advanced application fits well with our expertise profile and will contribute to a broadening of the ORBIT platform with ground-breaking functionality,” says Johan Löf, President and CEO of RaySearch.
”Nucletron is contributing the background knowledge within the physics of protons, which is extremely valuable. The demand for new treatment planning products for protons is increasing rapidly. Among other indications, this was confirmed at the PTCOG (Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group) proton conference in Houston, Texas, in the US in October in which RaySearch participated and demonstrated a prototype. Several new clinics for proton therapy are being planned and RaySearch where Nucletron will participate in the tender process.” Johan Löf adds.
Proton radiation therapy has potentially even better clinical properties than IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) based on photon radiation. In the future it will be a significant radiation therapy technology and the need for advanced software solutions for this method is growing sharply. Conventional radiation therapy is normally delivered with photons, which are generated by accelerating electrons. Protons are considerably heavier particles than electrons and therefore large installations are needed for acceleration of theses particles. Proton therapy requires extremely expensive equipment and highly sophisticated software.
About Nucletron
Nucletron specializes in the development, manufacture, sales, service and support of the world’s most innovative products for cancer treatment, with particular expertise in brachytherapy, treatment planning systems, information processing and simulation. The company has more than 20 offices worldwide, including its corporate headquarters in Veenendaal, the Netherlands.
Nucletron BV is a subsidiary of Delft Instruments NV (www.delftinstruments.com). Delft Instruments has about 1,100 employees. The Group develops, manufactures, sells and services advanced (precision) hardware and software for medical and industrial customers. Delft Instruments reported sales in 2005 of EUR 243 million.
More information about Nucletron is available at www.nucletron.com
About RaySearch
RaySearch develops and markets software for radiation therapy of cancer. The products are specially designed to optimize radiation therapy with the aim of adapting the radiation dose to the contour of the tumor, which then allows high doses to be delivered to the tumor while minimizing the dose to surrounding healthy tissue.
RaySearch, a spin-off from Karolinska Institutet, was formed in 2000. Since 2001, the company has sold its product, RayOptimizer, to approximately 1,000 hospitals internationally through a licensing agreement with Philips, thus enabling more than one hundred thousand patients to receive improved radiation therapy. Sales through Philips of the products RayBiology and RayMachine began in 2004. RaySearch signed a licensing agreement with Nucletron at the beginning of 2004. The latter agreement made RaySearch's products available to a large number of additional clinics worldwide and, consequently, increased the number of potential end-customers sharply. Delivery to clinics of OM-Optimizer, the first product based on the partnership with Nucletron, began in April 2005. The following two products OM-Machine and OM-Machine + were launched in July 2006. In February 2006 an agreement was signed with Scanditronix-Wellhöfer regarding development of products for improved quality assurance of IMRT. In October 2006, RaySearch signed an agreement with Philips covering the development of products in adaptive radiation therapy.
RaySearch was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange’s O List in November 2003. As of October 2006, the shares are listed on the Nordic List in the Small Cap segment of the Health Care sector. RaySearch is based in Stockholm and currently has 28 employees.
Company website: www.raysearchlabs.com
For further information, contact:
Johan Löf, President and CEO
RaySearch Laboratories AB
+46 (0)8-545 061 30
johan.lof@raysearchlabs.com