HAYWARD, Calif., Sept. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RefleXion Medical, a therapeutic oncology company using each cancer’s unique biology as a means to destroy it, announced today it will showcase the RefleXion™ X1 Machine* at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2019 annual meeting in Chicago, Sept. 15-18. The company’s Biology-guided Radiotherapy (BgRT)* platform is the first and only technology that unlocks the biological signature of each tumor to characterize its movement and direct highly conformal treatment to the tumor.
RefleXion also announced it will host a series of events with industry thought leaders highlighting combination therapies for metastatic disease in booth #4209.
“Evidence is weak for clinically relevant systemic effects of single-lesion radiation in metastatic cancer however recent studies suggest that immunotherapy may augment the local effects of radiotherapy,” said Jason Luke, M.D., Director of the Cancer Immunotherapeutics Center at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
“Prior studies have used conventional stereotactic radiotherapy approaches generally treating one or two tumors,” continued Dr. Luke. “The potential for BgRT to treat more sites of disease may facilitate a massive reduction in tumor burden and potentially augment systemic immune activation. For the oncology community, exploring the combination of BgRT with cancer immunotherapy is of high interest to improve outcomes for patients.”
RefleXion’s BgRT technology is the highlight of several scientific presentations at ASTRO 2019, including the following:
Oral Abstract Session
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 3:30 – 3:35 pm in room W176
- “Biology-guided Radiotherapy for Lung SBRT Reduces Planning Target Volume and Organs at Risk Doses.”
Poster Presentations
Sunday, Sept. 15, 1:15 – 2:30 pm in the ASTRO Innovation Hub
- “Characterization of Inter-Fraction 18-FDG PET Variability During Lung SBRT: Results of a Prospective Study.”
Tuesday, Sept. 17, 1:00 – 2:15 pm in the ASTRO Innovation Hub
- “Dosimetric Evaluation of Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery Treatment Plans for a Prototype Biology-guided Radiotherapy System.”
“The concept of our biology-guided radiotherapy has been enthusiastically received from academic cancer centers to smaller community cancer centers alike because of its potential to treat all stages of cancer,” said Todd Powell, president and CEO of RefleXion. “Cancer will soon surpass heart disease as the leading cause of death in the U.S., and to address the burgeoning population of patients with stage four disease, all cancer centers will need to think about technology and combining therapies in an entirely new way.
“The RefleXion X1 machine can form the backbone of any clinic by improving the way existing IMRT/SBRT is performed in early-stage disease, and partnering with drug therapies to form new treatment combinations for treating metastatic disease,” continued Powell.
In related news, RefleXion’s Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Sam Mazin, Ph.D. will present at the Society for Radiation Oncology Administrators (SROA) 36th Annual Meeting on how BgRT can fit into a wide range of oncology clinics and how it may one day expand radiation treatment options for metastatic disease. Dr. Mazin’s presentation will take place at the Hilton Chicago on Monday, Sept. 16 at 10:00 am.
About RefleXion’s Novel Approach
RefleXion’s approach offers a significant change in strategy from single tumor therapy to the ability to one day treat multiple targets in the same treatment session in cancers that have metastasized. The patented technology incorporates a well-established modality for cancer staging and imaging, positron-emission tomography (PET), which enables tumors to continuously signal their location. Using the anatomic data from computed tomography (CT) and the PET imaging data, the RefleXion machine detects PET emissions and immediately sends beamlets of radiation directly to the tumor to destroy it. The RefleXion machine also improves upon the delivery of conventional radiotherapy for single-site cancers.
About RefleXion Medical
RefleXion is a privately-held company developing the first biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT)* machine to drive a new paradigm in cancer care. RefleXion is backed by premier investment firms TPG Growth/The Rise Fund, Sofinnova Partners, KCK Group, Venrock, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., China-focused healthcare investment firm GT Healthcare Capital Partners, Oxford Capital and global pharmaceutical leaders Pfizer Venture Investments and Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JJDC Inc. UPMC holds a passive, minority investment in RefleXion, and Dr. Jason Luke is a paid consultant for RefleXion.
*The RefleXion Machine requires 510(k) clearance and is not yet commercially available in the United States.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/315aad58-aef0-43c7-aa5f-fb418794c868