PMB-Alcen Announces the Launch of FLASHKNiFE, the FLASH Radiotherapy System Dedicated to Clinical Trials

PEYNIER, France, June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PMB, a subsidiary of the ALCEN group, is proud to announce the launch of FLASHKNiFE, the FLASH radiotherapy system dedicated to clinical trials.

There is a long-standing history of FLASH at PMB which started in 2011. A prototype LINAC engineered to accelerate electrons in FLASH mode, the Oriatron 6e, was delivered in 2013 at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and it started to deliver pre-clinical results soon after on several animal species (zebra fish, mice, cats, pigs…). FLASH proved to be a reproducible effect with a striking sparing of normal healthy tissues, while the effects on tumors were maintained the same amongst all the tumor models tested.

In 2019, the treatment of a first patient with FLASH therapy was performed successfully at CHUV using our Oriatron 6e technology for a patient with a skin refractory lymphoma. This first attempt showed that FLASH therapy was feasible and safe, notably due to an effective dose monitoring system (Bourhis et al Radiother Oncol 2019).

This successful and joint experience on FLASH with the CHUV made it possible for us to develop FLASHKNiFE, a device specifically designed for FLASH radiotherapy. It will be able to administer a high single dose of radiation, for clinical applications such as skin cancer treatment and intra-operative radiotherapy (IORT). This system consists in an ultra-high dose rate LINAC mounted on a mobile base. It combines usability, flexibility and FLASH delivery mode, with precise configuration and monitoring. A first clinical prototype will soon be installed at the CHUV by PMB.

Our CEO, M. Marc Delmas, adds:

"We have been working with the pioneers of this fascinating subject, Lausanne University Hospital, for several years now. We believe that FLASHKNiFE is a breakthrough device in the field and the right tool to develop clinical applications and go on writing the history of FLASH radiotherapy."

About PMB

PMB is a human-sized company located near Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France, specialized in the design and manufacture of complex particle accelerators systems for Medical and Research applications.

Historically, PMB started with the specialty of assembling dissimilar materials such as metals and ceramics. Since the late 2000s, we have developed complex systems integrating particle accelerators. Among others, an automated system that produces in-house PET radiopharmaceuticals and linear accelerators for non-destructive testing (high-energy radiography), and radiotherapy.

Contact:

flashknife@pmb-alcen.com
+33-(0)-442-531-313 

About ALCEN

ALCEN works in 5 fields: Defense & Security, Energy, Medical & Healthcare, Aeronautics and Space, and Large Scientific Instruments.

ALCEN's ambition is to establish an ongoing policy of innovation applied first and foremost to its own products and services.

To do this, we are developing a particularly extensive in-house technological base. We work closely with research centers. We systematically transfer technological developments and feedback from one field to the others and develop our technology in specialist laboratories from a select group of top experts.

Publications

– Maud Jaccard et al., High dose-per-pulse electron beam dosimetry: Commissioning of the Oriatron eRT6 prototype linear accelerator for preclinical use, Med. Phys. 45 (2), February 2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.12713   

–  P. G. Jorge, M. Jaccard, K. Petersson et al., Dosimetric and preparation procedures for irradiating biological models with pulsed electron beam at ultra-high dose-rate, Radiotherapy and Oncology,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2019.05.004   

–  Vozenin M-C et al, The Advantage of FLASH Radiotherapy Confirmed in Mini-pig and Cat-cancer Patients, Clin Cancer Res; 2018, https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-17-3375   

–  J. Bourhis, W.J Sozzi, P.G. Jorge et al., Treatment of a first patient with FLASH-radiotherapy, Radiotherapy and Oncology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2019.06.019 

–  Vozenin M-C et al., Biological Benefits of Ultra-high Dose Rate FLASH Radiotherapy: Sleeping Beauty Awoken, Clinical Oncology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clon.2019.04.001   

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