SEATTLE—May 17, 2011—Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc., developer of GPS for the Body® technology used for the precise tracking of cancerous tumors during radiation therapy, today announced that 10,000 prostate cancer patients have had their radiation delivery safeguarded through the use of the Calypso® System. The 10,000th patient recently began treatment at Oregon Health & Science University’s (OHSU) Knight Cancer Institute.
“Since the day our company was founded, we have been resolute in our commitment to improve radiation delivery for cancer which includes safeguarding healthy tissue from unintended radiation. We are honored to have played a role in helping prostate cancer patients maintain and enjoy their quality of life,” said Ed Vertatschitsch, president and chief executive officer of Calypso Medical. “This milestone comes at an exciting time for the company, as we forge ahead with our international expansion and clinical research of the Calypso System in additional indications, such as lung and pancreatic cancers.”
The Calypso System uses GPS for the Body technology to safely guide radiation delivery during prostate cancer treatment. Beacon electromagnetic transponders, smaller than a grain of rice, are permanently placed in a patient’s prostate or prostatic bed. Each transponder emits a unique radio frequency signal to the Calypso System, which then determines the exact location and motion information about the tumor target. Because the tumor can be accurately tracked and monitored, precise targeted radiation can be delivered to the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy tissue and organs. This is critical because any movement by a patient, including internal movement of the tumor, may cause the radiation to miss its intended target and hit adjacent healthy tissue. Calypso’s real-time position information allows physicians to safely deliver the maximum cancer radiation treatments directly to the tumor. The Calypso System, cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in radiation therapy for the prostate and post-operative prostatic bed, has been used to treat more than 10,000 people worldwide.
“The Calypso System allows us to immediately respond to prostate movement during radiation therapy, thereby minimizing the exposure to surrounding healthy tissue,” said Arthur Hung, M.D., assistant professor in the department of radiation medicine and prostate cancer doctor at OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute. “Since August 2008, we have treated 250 prostate cancer patients with radiation in conjunction with the Calypso System. This combination has been effective at killing cancer cells, with fewer and less serious side effects compared to traditional external beam radiation.”
A recent clinical study entitled, “Assessing the Impact of Margin Reduction (AIM),” published in Urology, demonstrated that prostate tumor tracking utilizing the Calypso System during high-dose intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) allowed physicians to deliver a higher dose of radiation with smaller planning treatment volume (PTV) margins while reducing treatment-related side effects.
The Calypso System is installed in over 100 leading cancer centers worldwide including: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, University of Washington Medical Center, Duke University Medical Center, Fox Chase Cancer Center, The Harley Street Clinic and The Royal Marsden in London and the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ).
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About Calypso Medical Technologies, Inc.
Calypso Medical is a privately held medical device company headquartered in Seattle. Its proprietary tumor localization system is designed for body-wide cancers commonly treated with radiation. Utilizing miniaturized, non-ionizing implanted devices called Beacon® electromagnetic transponders, the Calypso System continuously and accurately tracks the location of cancerous tumors for the improved precision and safe management of radiation for cancer treatment. The real-time position and motion information provided by the Calypso System offers objective reassurance that radiation treatment is delivered precisely to the prescribed target and not to surrounding healthy tissue, thereby improving safety and eliminating unnecessary radiation exposure to patients. The Calypso System was cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in radiation therapy for the prostate and post-operative prostatic bed. The company has strategic relationships with Varian Medical Systems, Siemens Healthcare, Elekta Corporation and Philips Medical. Additional information can be found at www.calypsomedical.com.
Wendy Mejia/Kathy Vigneault
Schwartz Communications
(781) 684-0770
calypsomedical@schwartz-pr.com
David Betz
Calypso Medical
(206) 330-2621
dbetz@calypsomedical.com
