RaySearch and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo), based in Tokyo, Japan, have entered into an agreement regarding treatment planning for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) – a unique type of radiation therapy that targets cancer at the cellular level. The agreement extends the existing cooperation between Sumitomo and RaySearch on proton therapy.
Sumitomo has developed the world’s first accelerator-based clinical BNCT system and is conducting clinical trials regarding recurrent head-and-neck and brain cancers in Japan. Treatment planning is an essential aspect of BNCT, and Sumitomo selected RayStation because of its advanced capabilities and usability.
Under the agreement, RayStation’s functionality will be extended to support BNCT planning requirements*. BNCT will be an additional treatment modality in RayStation, alongside the existing options for photon, electron, proton, and carbon ion therapy. Users of BNCT will have access to the full range of advanced functionality in RayStation, including atlas-based segmentation, deformable image registration and scripting.
BNCT is a promising radiation therapy technique based on a two-step process. First, the patient is injected with a tumor-localizing drug containing the non-radioactive isotope boron-10. In the second step, the target area is exposed to a beam of low-energy neutrons, many of which are absorbed by the boron-10. The absorption initiates a reaction in which short-range, high-energy charged particles are emitted. These particles systematically destroy the tumor cells, with minimal damage to adjacent healthy tissue.
Tetsuya Okamura, Senior Vice President and General Manager Industrial Equipment Division at Sumitomo, says: “We are very pleased to work with RaySearch in developing future technologies such as BNCT. This is an emerging treatment method, and there is still a long way to go, but I believe our collaboration will accelerate commercialization of the modality and provide great benefits for cancer patients and hospitals.”
Johan Löf, CEO of RaySearch, says: “RaySearch is committed to supporting cutting-edge techniques and approaches that have the potential to improve cancer treatment. This agreement presents exciting new possibilities, and we look forward to exploring the clinical possibilities of BNCT together with Sumitomo.”
About Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. is a technology-oriented Japanese manufacturer of medical equipment and industrial machinery. Its accelerator technology is widely used in the semiconductor industry, the nuclear physics research sector, and in medical applications for diagnostic and therapeutic use. The company has approximately 19,300 employees worldwide and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
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 photon, electron, proton and carbon ion therapy. The system is built on the latest software architecture and features a graphical user interface with state-of-the-art usability.
About RaySearch
RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) is a medical technology company that develops innovative software solutions for improved cancer treatment. RaySearch markets the RayStation treatment planning system to clinics all over the world and distributes products through licensing agreements with leading medical technology companies. The company is also developing the next-generation oncology information system, RayCare*, which comprises a new product area for RaySearch, and which will be launched in December 2017. RaySearch’s software is used by over 2,600 clinics in more than 65 countries. The company was founded in 2000 as a spin-off from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the share has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since November 2003.
To learn more about RaySearch, go to: www.raysearchlabs.com
* Subject to regulatory clearance in some markets
For further information, please contact:
Johan Löf, President and CEO, RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ)
Telephone: +46 (0)8-510 530 00
johan.lof@raysearchlabs.com
Shin Masui, Product Manager, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, ltd.
Telephone: +1 610 791 6716
shin.masui@shi-g.com