LITTLETON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mevion Medical Systems announced today that it has signed a partnership agreement with Children’s Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai and Shanghai Fosun Healthcare (Group) Co., Ltd. to establish the first pediatric proton therapy center in China. Under the agreement, the three parties will collaborate on the proton therapy center’s development, clinical services, training, and research activities.
As an advanced form of radiation therapy, proton therapy can reduce unnecessary radiation dose to healthy tissue and prevents complications and secondary cancers. These advantages are especially beneficial for pediatric cancer patients, whose bodies are still growing and developing and are more susceptible to these adverse events.
According to GLOBALCON 2020, the estimated number of new pediatric cancer patients in China last year was 36,651. However, the lack of operating proton centers and specialized medical professionals has significantly limited Chinese pediatric patients’ access to proton therapy.
“This joint collaboration represents a significant milestone for Mevion and pediatric patients in China. By providing the first pediatric hospital in China with direct access to proton therapy, together we embark on a new era of patient care that will provide our life-changing technology to children and their families”, said Tina Yu, chief executive officer of Mevion Medical Systems. “We are proud to continue to fulfill our mission to provide accessible proton therapy to every corner of the globe.”
Joining the event was Grace Eline, a 12-year-old cancer survivor who underwent proton therapy at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospitals Laurie Proton Therapy Center, and Stephanie Perkins, M.D., director of the Kling Proton Therapy Center at Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University, St. Louis, MO. Both guests emphasized the need to increase access to proton therapy to the pediatric population.
The new proton therapy center will be located at StarKids Children’s Hospital Shanghai, on the New Hong Qiao campus of Children’s Hospital of Fudan University. Founded in 1952, the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University is one of the top children’s hospitals in China, leading in clinical services, teaching, and research.
About Mevion Medical Systems
Since 2004, Mevion Medical Systems has been the leading provider of compact proton therapy systems for cancer care. Dedicated to advancing the design and accessibility of proton therapy worldwide, Mevion was the first company to innovate this new single-room platform and continues to further the science and application of proton therapy. Mevion’s flagship product, the MEVION S250i Proton Therapy System with HYPERSCAN pencil beam scanning, is the world’s smallest proton therapy system that eliminates the obstacles of size, complexity, and cost that exists with other proton therapy systems. Mevion is headquartered in Littleton, Massachusetts, with a presence in Europe and Asia.
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