Or Yehuda, Israel—The reality of broadly accessible proton therapy, a minimally invasive treatment for cancer with substantially less treatment related side effects, has come a step closer. P‐CURE, a medical device company developing advanced solutions for proton and other radiation therapies, has received Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the P‐ART^TM software system, which is a critical part of P‐CURE’s imaging, positioning, and treatment adaptation systems. As a result of P‐CURE’s developments, the cost to develop and equip proton therapy centers could be reduced by approximately 65 percent.

P‐CURE’s system is an imaging‐based, accelerator‐complementary, treatment platform. The platform comprises a paradigm‐shifting fully‐integrated combination of patient positioning, imaging, and data processing components. This combination of imaging, positioning and delivery, combined with P‐CURE’S semi‐automatic adaptive approach, allows for reduced cost, better efficiency and enhanced patient care. The first clinical site is currently being installed at a world‐renowned medical center in the United States.

The P‐CURE solution can be connected to any accelerator and fixed beam‐line. In addition to everything that current gantry systems can offer, P‐CURE offers the advantages of substantially reduced cost, increased capacity for real‐time imaging, and increased efficiency. The P‐CURE system is capable of performing the entire proton therapy treatment course for both scanning and scattering beam configurations.

The historic challenge of radiation therapy has been to balance the delivery of cancer destroying dose distribution with the need to spare healthy tissues and organs. The use of proton beams enables radiation oncologists to deliver higher radiation doses to neutralize cancers while sparing surrounding normal tissues. By minimizing virtually all treatment related side effects, proton therapy removes the fear of treatment, therefore encouraging earlier patient testing. Proton therapy is minimally invasive; recovery is enhanced and patients retain full quality of life after recovery.

P‐CURE is an Israel‐based medical device company focusing on advanced radiation therapy innovations, and the P‐ART^TM system specifically maximizes the benefits of proton therapy while significantly reducing the equipment and development costs of a proton center.

The higher cost of equipping and developing a proton center is the most significant limiting factor to expanding the availability proton therapy. Currently, the cost of a full service proton center in the United States exceeds $150 million. The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute in Hampton, VA, scheduled to open later this year, has reported a building and equipment cost of approximately $225 million.

The P‐CURE solution for medical centers contemplating building a proton therapy center for the treatment of cancer and other diseases is dramatic. Currently, typical centers cost between $150 million and $200+ million. The P‐CURE solution would reduce these to approximately $50 million, while including breakthrough capabilities to increase treatment accuracy and efficiency.In the US, proton therapy is covered by Medicare and most insurance carriers for treatment to over 30 cancer sites, including head, neck, spinal, lung, breast, abdominal, prostate and all other non‐metastasized cancers.

See the full press release click here.  Please visit P-Cure’s new website at www.P-Cure.com for more information on the company, its technology and its effect on the proton industry.