A unique partnership agreement signed between upright radiotherapy specialists
Leo Cancer Care and innovative linear accelerator manufacturers TibaRay will see the
development of a first-of-its-kind upright linear accelerator.
This step sees the companies joining forces to develop a solution for photon therapy
combining TibaRay’s linear accelerator (linac) technology with Leo Cancer Care’s
upright patient positioning* and imaging system.
TibaRay designs and manufactures a new class of linear accelerators that have higher
beam power, higher efficiency, are more compact, and are more economical to
manufacture.
New dimension
The technology enables extremely rapid dose delivery, ultimately including FLASH**,
within the photon therapy space, which offers precise and targeted treatment for
people living with cancer.
Meanwhile, Leo Cancer Care’s technology brings a new dimension to cancer
treatment by keeping the radiation beam fixed and rotating the patient while seated
in an upright position.
The proposed partnership would involve using TibaRay’s efficient X-ray generation
system as part of Leo’s future upright photon therapy solutions.
Product development roadmap
With the agreement, the companies have a product development roadmap and will
work closely and cohesively to deliver better treatment options to patients.
Leo Cancer Care CEO Stephen Towe said: “Collaborations such as this illustrate how
our simple shift from machine rotation to patient rotation provides a platform for
new and innovative modalities. We believe our solutions firmly belong in the future
of cancer care, working with our friends TibaRay the future of upright radiotherapy
looks even brighter.”
TibaRay CEO Jeff Amacker said: “This collaboration aims to leverage the
technological strengths of both companies to jointly develop innovative new
products that will set new industry standards in Radiation Therapy and drive growth
for our organisations.
“TibaRay has breakthrough technology and know-how in X-ray generation and
Radiation Therapy systems and we have been impressed with Leo Cancer Care’s
expertise in upright radiotherapy solutions.
“By combining our respective strengths, we believe we can create unique products
that will change the face of Radiation Therapy for good and bring hope of cure to
patients with cancer globally. This is a shared vision of both TibaRay and Leo Cancer
Care that we are excited to realize together.”
Accurate treatment delivery
With Leo Cancer Care’s solution, evidence has highlighted: how patients feel more
comfortable seated upright, rather than supine as with traditional gantries; have
better communication with radiotherapists during their care; and indicates less
internal organ movement, aiming to deliver more accurate treatment delivery.
Leo Board Chairman Rock Mackie, who as a long-standing innovator in the world of
radiation technology, played a pivotal role in forging the partnership, added: "Leo
Cancer Care is looking forward to offering the advantages of the TibaRay accelerator.
The TibaRay accelerator will deliver a higher photon beam output in a more compact
footprint combined with faster upright position setup times. This will facilitate a
more human patient experience and improve patient access to care.”
TibaRay Founder and Board Director, Bill Loo, who is a physician-scientist Radiation
Oncologist and Bioengineer, and Director of Thoracic Radiation Oncology and New
Technologies at Stanford Cancer Institute, added: “The novel combination of
technologies enabling extremely rapid dose delivery and upright patient positioning
promises not only a leap in precision targeted radiotherapy for cancer, but also
better accessibility and clinical efficiency of curative cancer treatment for patients
worldwide.”
*Leo Cancer Care’s upright patient positioning system recently gained 510(k)
regulatory approval in the United States for clinical use, with a similar process
under way in Europe. Marie, including our upright CT scanner, is not yet
clinically available.
**FLASH radiotherapy (RT) is the delivery of ultra-high dose rate radiation to the
target in an extremely short time frame which produces a tumor killing effect
comparable to conventional radiotherapy but with less damage to surrounding
healthy tissue.
Note to editors:
Leo Cancer Care is a UK-based manufacturer of healthcare technology offering a new
take on the way Radiation Therapy is delivered. Its unique upright technology, which
places patients in a seated rather than supine position, aims to increase the
accessibility of cancer treatments for more patients and improve the patient
experience. The company is built on research from across the globe showing the
clinical benefits of upright patient positioning and combines this with a shift from
machine rotation to patient rotation.
TibaRay is based in California and a pioneer of RF (radiofrequency) and Accelerator
Technology. Leveraging a new understanding of accelerator science discovered at
Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has led to novel
designs of linear accelerators that have higher beam power, higher efficiency, are
more compact, and are more economical to manufacture. This unprecedented
performance enables new paradigms in precision targeted radiotherapy for cancer.
For more information and images from Leo Cancer Care, contact: Sophie Towe [+44
(0) 7487 557593] or Grace Hart-Coombs/Fiona Redford via
marketing@leocancercare.com or visit www.leocancercare.com