Gustave Roussy and THERYQ: France welcomes the first FLASH radiotherapy machine to treat patients

PEYNIER, France, July 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gustave Roussy and THERYQ announce a strategic and structuring partnership to roll out and assess FLASH technology for radiotherapy. French medical technology company THERYQ, specializing in particle accelerators and radiotherapy systems, has provided Gustave Roussy's Department of Radiotherapy with the first FLASH clinical radiotherapy machine in France for treating superficial tumours.

The collaboration between Gustave Roussy, Europe's leading cancer centre, ranking third worldwide, and THERYQ, a French company specializing in the manufacture of FLASH radiotherapy systems, represents a major breakthrough in cancer treatment in France through the arrival of the first FLASHKNiFE® machine.

FLASHKNiFE® technology is a new radiotherapy process that uses electrons. The FLASH radiotherapy system delivers a very high dose rate, enabling professionals to treat patients in milliseconds. Several pre-clinical studies have shown that this technique can further save healthy tissue while effectively destroying tumour cells. In addition, the very short irradiation time eliminates any movement of the organ or tumour, ensuring more precise and controlled targeting.

Thanks to this major partnership, Gustave Roussy will be the first centre in France to use THERYQ's FLASH radiotherapy machine. Prior to its mainstream use, a clinical study will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of FLASH radiotherapy in skin cancer patients. The results of this study could have a significant impact on skin cancer management, thereby paving the way for new therapeutic breakthroughs, including in the treatment of all solid tumours.

Professor Eric Deutsch, Head of Gustave Roussy's Department of Radiotherapy, said: "Introducing this system will allow FLASH radiation therapy, a significant evolution from current methods, to undergo thorough clinical testing. The reduced number of sessions, along with the possibility of minimizing radiation-induced side effects, will lead to more tolerable and effective treatments. We are fully invested in and motivate by this project, which fuels the hope of significantly improving therapeutic management."

Mr. Ludovic Le Meunier, CEO of THERYQ, added: "We are delighted to work with Gustave Roussy, a pioneer in cancer research and treatment, to introduce FLASH radiation therapy in France.  This collaboration marks a key milestone in our goal to deliver advanced treatment solutions to patients. FLASH radiotherapy has tremendous potential to improve skin cancer patient management and we look forward to this study's results."

Gustave Roussy and THERYQ are committed to pursuing their joint effort to develop innovative treatments for the benefit of patients, leading to more effective and tolerable radiotherapy thanks to this promising technology.

About Gustave Roussy:

Gustave Roussy, ranked first in Europe and third worldwide, is a global centre of expertise entirely dedicated to cancer patients. The Institute is a founding pillar of the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster. As a source of therapeutic innovation and diagnostic breakthroughs, the Institute welcomes nearly 50,000 patients every year and develops an integrated approach combining research, care and teaching. Gustave Roussy provides expert care for rare cancers and complex tumours, treating all cancers at every stage of life. It offers its patients personalized management that combines innovation and a human-focused approach, taking into account care and physical, psychological and social quality of life. Boasting 4,100 employees at two facilities, namely Villejuif and Chevilly-Larue, Gustave Roussy brings together the expertise needed for high-level cancer research, with one quarter of patients included in clinical trials.

Find out more about Gustave Roussy and get the latest news from the Institute at www.gustaveroussy.fr, as well as on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About THERYQ:

THERYQ, a spin-off of PMB-ALCEN located in the south of France, is an innovative medical technology company specializing in particle accelerators and radiotherapy systems. The company has and provides essential expertise in project management, R&D, industrialization and production. THERYQ is part of the Healthcare arm of the ALCEN Group.

Follow us on LinkedIn and our website www.theryq.com.

Contact:

Fatine Slaoui
fslaoui@theryq.com
+33 4 42 53 13 13

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