RaySearch Laboratories AB has received an order for its RayStation® treatment planning system from MedAustron in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
MedAustron is an interdisciplinary national Austrian centre specializing in cancer treatment with ions, research and development of this new therapy and non-clinical research with ion and proton radiation. MedAustron is currently in the build-up phase and approximately 200 million Euros are being invested in this cutting-edge facility. After the center’s completion in 2015, up to 1400 patients will be treated annually using protons and carbon ion radiation.
Ion beam therapy is the most advanced form of external radiotherapy where the tumor is irradiated with protons or carbon ions. Compared to conventional radiotherapy, where the tumor is irradiated with photons, the energy deposition of the ion beams can be controlled much more effectively. This means that the radiation dose can be delivered even more precisely and as a result, the unwanted dose to healthy tissues can be reduced, leading to a reduction of treatment-related side effects. In addition, radiation therapy with carbon ions can be used to target tumors with low levels of oxygen, so called hypoxic tumors, for which conventional radiation therapy has limited effect.
RayStation® will be used at MedAustron for planning of all treatments including both treatments with protons and carbon ions as well as conventional treatments as back-up. The order comprises all of RayStation’s current functionality and the system will be extended with state-of-the-art functionality to support planning for carbon ion beams.
The new carbon ion planning module builds on the current pencil beam scanning functionality for protons. The module optimizes the scanning pattern for discrete as well as line scanned beams. Characteristics of the beam delivery system, like dose rate and spot size, will also be subject to optimization. For physical dose calculation two algorithms are used, pencil beam and Monte Carlo, to serve both normal clinical use as well as research needs. The system will also be capable of optimizing biologically effective dose.
The order value for the license fees exceeds EUR 3.5 million and approximately half of that will be recorded in 2012. In addition RaySearch will receive maintenance fees for as long as the system remains clinically operational.
“We are proud to have found with RaySearch a competent and reliable partner for this key system. Beginning with the first talks a relationship of mutual trust has developed, which will be the basis for this important, long-term cooperation,” says Dr. Bernd Mößlacher, CEO of MedAustron.
Johan Löf, CEO of RaySearch Laboratories AB adds: “We are of course very proud of this order from one of the leading radiation therapy centers in the world. Not only is it the largest RayStation® order to date in terms of order value, it is also the first order in the field of carbon ions. This is truly the technological state of the art in radiation therapy and I think the fact that MedAustron have selected us as their treatment planning partner signifies that we are the leading supplier of treatment planning software applications. We have the most advanced and complete offering in the field of particle therapy and I think this makes us an attractive alternative for other clinics in this expanding field.”
About RayStation®
RayStation® integrates all RaySearch’s advanced treatment planning solutions into a flexible treatment planning system. It combines unique features such as multi-criteria optimization tools with full support for 4D adaptive radiation therapy. It also includes functionality such as RaySearch’s market-leading algorithms for IMRT and VMAT optimization and highly accurate dose engines for both photon and proton therapy. The system is built on the latest software architecture and has a graphical user interface offering state-of-the-art usability.
About RaySearch
RaySearch Laboratories is a medical technology company that develops advanced software solutions for improved radiation therapy of cancer. RaySearch’s products are mainly sold through license agreements with leading partners such as Philips, Nucletron, IBA Dosimetry, Varian, Accuray and Siemens. To date, 15 products have been launched through partners and RaySearch’s software is used at over 2,000 clinics in more than 30 countries. In addition, RaySearch offers the proprietary treatment planning system RayStation® directly to clinics. RaySearch was founded in 2000 as a spin-off from Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and the company is listed in the Small Cap segment on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm.
For more information about RaySearch, visit www.raysearchlabs.com
For further information, please contact:
Johan Löf, President and CEO, RaySearch Laboratories AB
Telephone: +46 (0)8-545 061 30
johan.lof@raysearchlabs.com