Elekta Announces First Patients Treated with Major Breakthrough in Cancer Therapy

St. James’s University Hospital (Leeds, UK) debuts clinical use of Agility
multileaf collimator (MLC)

LEEDS, England, April 19 – Using Agility™*,
Elekta’s latest MLC innovation, patients at St. James’s University Hospital were
the first in the world to benefit from this modern advancement in the treatment
of cancer. With twice the number of leaves typical of many standard MLCs,
Agility precisely sculpts delivered radiation to the unique contours of the
tumor while reducing the risk of exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

A
multileaf collimator, a device made up of numerous individual tungsten leaves,
is commonly used to shape beams of radiation as therapeutic doses are delivered
from different angles around the patient.

“This truly represents a radical
improvement in the way we deliver radiotherapy, combining both speed and
precision in tailoring the radiation beams to the exact shape of the patient’s
tumor,” says Vivian Cosgrove, Ph.D., head of radiotherapy physics at St.
James’s. “Agility enables a faster delivery of advanced radiotherapy treatments.
Reduced treatment times will lead to a better experience for the patient and
will improve access to the technology for the benefit of more of our
patients.”

The product of an extensive R&D effort by Elekta to transform
cancer care, the leaves of Agility are also capable of traveling at twice the
speed of other MLCs commonly used in radiotherapy. This unique capability
supports an added capacity for precision beam shaping as well as shorter
treatment times, increasing both patient comfort and the clinic’s delivery
efficiency. Moreover, relying on a new and innovative design, Agility MLC has
demonstrated extraordinarily low leaf transmission, to reduce the patient’s non
-therapeutic radiation exposure.

Recently, Agility was awarded the CE Mark,
enabling medical centers across Europe and other regions to adopt the technology
for their cancer patients.

“Agility’s versatility combined with the potential
patient benefits have generated much enthusiasm and market demand,” says Olof
Sandén, Elekta’s Executive Vice President, Europe and AFLAME. “We look forward
to many more cancer patients benefiting from this breakthrough
technology.”

Learn more at www.elekta.com/agility.

*Agility is not
available for sale or distribution in all markets. Please contact your local
Elekta representative for details.
 

For further information, please
contact:

Stina Thorman, Vice President Corporate Communications, Elekta
AB
Tel: +46 8 587 254 37, email: stina.thorman@elekta.com
Time zone: CET:
Central European Time

Michelle Joiner, Director, Global Public Relations and
Brand Management, Elekta
Tel: +1 770-670-2447, email:
michelle.joiner@elekta.com
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time

Johan Andersson
Melbi, Investor Relations Manager, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 702 100 451, email:
johan.anderssonmelbi@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time

 
The
above information is such that Elekta AB (publ) shall make public in accordance
with the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The
information was published at 07:30 on April 19, 2012.

 
About Elekta
Elekta
is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical
solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops
sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for
radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as well as workflow enhancing
software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries
of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient
solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients,
Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives.

Today, Elekta
solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 6,000 hospitals
worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,300 employees globally. The corporate
headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the
Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. Website: www.elekta.com.