Leading integrated radiotherapy systems maker Varian Medical (VAR) has achieved another key milestone as its popular TrueBeam therapy system has been successfully deployed at Shantou University Medical College's affiliated cancer hospital, thereby becoming the first cancer treatment center in China to install this advanced system. Shantou University Medical College is a premier medical college and health research base in southern-eastern China.
The TrueBeam system was donated to the hospital by private charitable organization Li Ka Shing (“LKS”) Foundation. It was dedicated in a special ceremony held at the affiliated hospital on June 28. TrueBeam was approved in China in early 2011. Varian recently secured the Japanese regulator's clearance for the system.
Introduced in April 2010, the TrueBeam platform is used in image-guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery to treat multiple cancer types. It is especially suitable for the treatment of lung and liver cancer, which are among the most common cancers in China.
Varian has designed this sophisticated cancer treatment system to handle tumors with precision and speed. This includes tumors that tend to move, during therapy, as the patient breathes. This cutting-edge technology integrates a series of technical improvements, which provide help during treatment, such as positioning the patient and managing his/her motion.
The TrueBeam system has the capability to provide treatment 50% faster, along with a dose delivery rate that can reach 2,400 monitor units per minute, which is twice the maximum output of conventional systems for radiosurgery or radiotherapy. The enhanced ability ensures that patients experience greater comfort due to shorter treatment periods and superior precision.
The company has so far received orders for 220 TrueBeam systems since the product’s inception and has installed (or in process of placing) 65 around the world.
Varian is the world’s leading manufacturer of integrated radiotherapy systems for treating cancer and a premier supplier of X-ray tubes for diagnostic imaging applications. In the radiation oncology market, the company competes head-to-head with Accuray Incorporated (ARAY).
Varian is poised to increase its market share in the radiation oncology market. The company is currently enjoying a healthy demand for its coveted RapidArc and TrueBeam radiotherapy technology. However, uncertainties stemming from health care reform and a still weak hospital capital spending environment across many developed countries, especially in Europe, provide headwinds. We currently have a Neutral recommendation on Varian.
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