MILWAUKEE, July 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Elekta (NSE: EKTAb) and Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) announced today that the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) will join a consortium that is investigating the development of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided radiation therapy system.
"The Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center is an exceptional addition to the consortium," says Tomas Puusepp, Elekta President and CEO. "It is a nationally renowned cancer research institute, boasts in-depth expertise in every kind of cancer, is staffed by fully coordinated specialist teams and uses the latest innovative therapies and technologies."
The Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center is the fifth member to sign the research agreement to evaluate the new technology, which unites radiation therapy and MRI in a single system. Current clinical members of the group include the University Medical Center Utrecht (Utrecht, the Netherlands), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas), The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Ontario).
Integrating an advanced 1.5 Tesla MRI machine with a sophisticated adaptive radiation therapy system will provide physicians with depictions of a patient's soft tissues and tumor and allow them to dynamically track their motion. This innovation is designed to enable clinicians to deliver radiation under real-time MR guidance.
"We are eager to join this consortium of leading institutions. The research and clinical faculty of our cancer center will bring a wealth of expertise and experience to the exploration of MR-guided radiation therapy," says J. Frank Wilson, MD, Chairman, Director Emeritus of the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center. The delivery system of the future will be adaptive, enabling real-time changes to radiation treatments that respond to changing anatomy, tumor response and potentially to changes in tumor biology that occur during treatment."
"Combining adaptive radiation therapy with real-time MR imaging is a powerful new concept that has the potential to redefine the standard of care in radiation oncology," says Gene Saragnese, CEO Imaging Systems at Philips Healthcare. "Partnering with clinical centers of excellence like the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center will enable us to explore the clinical applications of this new technology and ultimately create the future of healthcare."
The integrated MRI-guided radiation therapy system is in development and not available for sale.
For further information, please contact:
Johan Andersson, Director, Investor Relations, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 702 100 451, email: johan.andersson@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
Michelle Joiner, Director, Global Public Relations and Brand Management, Elekta
Tel: +1 770-670-2447, email: michelle.joiner@elekta.com
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time
Steve Klink, Philips Corporate Communications
Tel: +31 6 10888824, e-mail: steve.klink@philips.com
About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives.
Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 6,000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. Website: www.elekta.com.
About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2012 sales of EUR 24.8 billion and employs approximately 116,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.
SOURCE Elekta