Terapet SA, a spin-off startupfrom CERN, a European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) headquartered inGeneva, Switzerland, today announced a partnership with Yonsei Cancer Hospitaland medical AI startup Oncosoft to develop a new integrated patient qualitymanagement solution for heavy particle therapy machines.
The Swiss Agency for thePromotion of Innovation (Innosuisse) and the Korea Institute of IndustrialTechnology (KIT) will fully fund the project, which will cost KRW 4.5 billion(CHF 3 million) over the next three years. Based on a memorandum ofunderstanding for industrial technology cooperation signed in 2014, the twoparties have been supporting bilateral co-funded R&D projects annually.
The official signing ceremonytook place on March 13 at the 6th Korean Society of Radiation Oncology and the41st Korean Society of Radiation Oncology, the largest radiation oncologycongresses in the Asia-Pacific region.
Terapet will be sponsored bythe Startup Camp program supported by the Swiss Agency for Innovation, whichwill allow the company to introduce its new technology to more cancer centersin the Korean market. The program is supported by the Office of Science andTechnology Cooperation of the Embassy of Switzerland in Korea.
"This collaboration ismore than just a merging of resources, it is about bringing together thestrengths of our partners from both countries to make a significant impact onthe future of heavy particle therapy," said Christina Vallgren, CEO ofTerapet.
Heavy particle therapy is anadvanced cancer treatment that delivers high doses of radiation to targetedtissue and much lower doses to surrounding healthy tissue. It is excellent fortreating children, where life expectancy after treatment is long and sideeffects have a significant impact on quality of life, and for cancers locatednear vital organs such as the brain, spine, optic nerve, and reproductiveorgans.
To the consortium's research,Terapet will apply its new nuclear medicine imaging technology and YonseiCancer Hospital will apply its medical expertise and technology in heavyparticle therapy. Oncosoft will provide digital infrastructure and softwareinnovations.
Together, they will develop an integrated solutionfor high-precision heavy particle therapy with patient-specific treatmentquality control, which is expected to have a significant impact on improvingthe precision of cancer treatment and overall patient outcomes in the future.
