TIDMAVO
RNS Number : 4752D
Advanced Oncotherapy PLC
10 October 2018
ADVANCED ONCOTHERAPY PLC
("Advanced Oncotherapy" or the "Company")
Technological update
52MeV beam generated
Advanced Oncotherapy (AIM: AVO), the developer of a
next-generation proton therapy system for cancer treatment, is
pleased to provide a comprehensive general technical update on the
development of its LIGHT system following the recent announcement
that the LIGHT system had achieved the key milestone of generating
a beam with an energy level capable of treating superficial
tumours.
LIGHT Accelerator Update
The Company is pleased to confirm the successful integration at
its testing facility at CERN, Geneva, of the four sections of the
LIGHT accelerator: the proton source, the Radiofrequency Quadrupole
("RFQ"), the four Side Coupled Drift Tube Linacs ("SCDTLs") and two
of the high-energy accelerating structures, the Coupled Cavity
Linacs ("CCLs"). The Company is also delighted to announce that the
proton beam has now been accelerated through all these units at the
design-anticipated energy of 52MeV, which represents about double
the output energy referred to in the case study of 27 September
2018 technology milestone announcement.
Having reached this proton beam acceleration level, the
development team is focussed on the relatively lower-execution risk
activity of adding the remaining additional accelerating CCL
modules which have the same designs as the ones already tested and
operating. The integration of a total of a further 13 CCLs will
lead to a proton acceleration of up to 230MeV, which is required
for the effective proton therapy treatment of deep-seated tumours.
As already highlighted by Prof. Ugo Amaldi, President of the TERA
Foundation and member of Company's Medical advisory board on 28
December 2017, the CCL modules have already been successfully
tested by the TERA Foundation and successfully accelerated
protons.
The LIGHT system is designed to have improved clinical
advantages due to the high beam quality and targeting which results
in a more conformal dose and greater adjustability at source.
Collectively, these features make the LIGHT system the ideal tool
for making proton therapy systems more widely available, with a
technology expected to be capable of providing improved outcomes
and reduced treatment related side effects.
LIGHT Treatment System Update
Proton therapy centres must run efficiently to provide a
superlative patient experience and throughput performance. To that
end, the OIS is the key software driver for the team. As such, the
Company is pleased to announce that RaySearch AB, a global leader
in software solutions for radio and particle therapies, is also
providing their new OIS "RayCare" to the Company's assembly site
for integration, and to Harley Street to provide next-generation
software tools for our clinical team. RayCare offers native
integration with RayStation, providing highest efficiency, as well
as offering managed workflows. With personalized medicine becoming
one of the greatest current developments in the field today the
RaySearch software system is the only system that enables personal
adapted care on a daily basis, which is essential in proton
therapy. This new strategic collaboration agreement with Raysearch
complements the agreement already announced for the provision by
Raysearch of the Treatment Planning System ("TPS") with the
objective of further de-risking the development of the LIGHT system
while optimizing its unique features.
Finally, meeting the challenge of cost and size in the treatment
room, the Company has partnered with P-Cure to provide a compact
solution including an advanced robotic treatment chair and a
vertically tracking diagnostic quality CT scanner. The robotic
treatment chair, bespoke CT scanner, image guidance system and
control software are integrated and undergoing testing at the
P-Cure factory in Tel-Aviv. Preparations are underway to receive
the P-Cure system at our STFC assembly centre in 2019.
Harley Street update
Progress at 141/143 Harley Street site remains on track. The
sub-structural work continues to progress well: deconstruction and
shell build was completed by the end of August on schedule, and the
build and fit-out being undertaken by Howard de Walden Estate, the
site freeholder, has commenced. The next stage of constructions is
steel framing, roofing and waterproofing works. The Company remains
on schedule to create central London's first proton therapy centre
with site work expected to conclude by the middle of next year to
enable first patient treatment by the second half of 2020.
Assembly Site update
Work is progressing at Daresbury Laboratory to build and prepare
the test facility ready for the installation and assembly of the
full LIGHT system from later this year. Some of the components of
the LIGHT system have already been delivered onsite. The Science
and Technology Facilities Council ("STFC") and AVO are working
closely to ensure that the building work is on track to allow the
installation of the LIGHT system to start next month in order to be
ready for full-energy testing next year.
A video of the LIGHT system, the infrastructure set-up designed
for high-volume production and an update of the Harley Street site
is available on our website (see:
https://www.avoplc.com/Our-Technology/Overview-of-the-LIGHT-System).
Professor Susan Smith, Head of STFC's Daresbury Laboratory,
said: "Accelerating protons at an energy sufficient to treat
superficial tumors, and firing them successfully through each of
the key accelerating modules, is a major achievement for any
accelerator project. At STFC we are committed to developing
accelerator technology and expertise to address the world's key
challenges, as well as to help businesses innovate to the benefit
of our society and our economy. As such, we are pleased to host the
testing and assembly site of AVO and be associated with this
groundbreaking physics and medical project."
Commenting, Nicolas Sérandour, CEO of Advanced Oncotherapy,
said: "We are delighted to have successfully achieved a further
acceleration of the proton beam through the four sections of the
LIGHT system and have accordingly validated the designs of the all
the accelerating structures. Having fully integrated all key
components of the LIGHT system, we have already achieved the most
challenging aspect of constructing a new linear accelerator. Since
the remaining high-speed accelerating modules (CCLs) are of the
same design to those already successfully tested, the integration
of these remaining CCLs is now a relatively simple process. We are
therefore confidesnt that the integration of further CCL modules
will conform to our expectations. Discussions with potential
customers are now multiplying and we expect them to accelerate as
we are getting closer to the next phases of our journey. We look
forward to having all our accelerating units manufactured to
generate a beam at full energy by the middle of next year and start
the installation of the system in Harley Street when the building
is ready by mid next year."
Advanced Oncotherapy Plc www.avoplc.com
Dr. Michael Sinclair, Executive Tel: +44 20 3617 8728
Chairman
Nicolas Serandour, CEO
Stockdale Securities (Nomad &
Joint Broker)
Antonio Bossi / Edward Thomas Tel: +44 20 7601 6100
Stifel Nicolaus Europe (Joint
Broker)
Jonathan Senior / Ben Maddison Tel: +44 20 7710 7600
Walbrook PR (Financial PR & IR) Tel: +44 20 7933 8780 or avo@walbrookpr.com
Paul McManus / Anna Dunphy Mob: +44 7980 541 893 / Mob: +44
7876 741 001
About Advanced Oncotherapy Plc www.avoplc.com
Advanced Oncotherapy is a provider of particle therapy in the
treatment of cancer, which harnesses the very best in modern
technology. Advanced Oncotherapy's R&D team, ADAM, in Geneva,
focuses on the development of a proprietary proton accelerator -
LIGHT (Linac Image Guided Hadron Technology). LIGHT accelerates
protons to the energy levels achieved in legacy machines but in a
compact and truly modular unit, offering significant cost
advantages. LIGHT also delivers proton beams in a way that
facilitates greater precision and electronic control, which are not
achievable with currently available alternative technologies.
Advanced Oncotherapy will offer healthcare providers affordable
systems that will enable them to treat cancer with an innovative
technology, offering better health outcomes and lower treatment
related side effects.
Advanced Oncotherapy continually monitors the market for any
emerging improvements in delivering proton or particle therapy and
actively seeks working relationships with providers of these
innovative technologies. Through these relationships, the Company
will remain the prime provider of cutting edge, cost-effective
systems for particle therapy.
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END
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