Gustave Roussy and THERYQ announce a strategic and structuring partnership to roll out and assess FLASH technology for radiotherapy. French medical technology company THERYQ, specializing in particle accelerators and radiotherapy systems, has provided Gustave Roussy’s Department of Radiotherapy with the first FLASH clinical radiotherapy machine in France for treating superficial tumours.
The collaboration between Gustave Roussy, Europe’s leading cancer centre, ranking third worldwide, and THERYQ, a French company specializing in the manufacture of FLASH radiotherapy systems, represents a major breakthrough in cancer treatment in France through the arrival of the first FLASHKNiFE® machine.
FLASHKNiFE® technology is a new radiotherapy process that uses electrons. The FLASH radiotherapy system delivers a very high dose rate, enabling professionals to treat patients in milliseconds. Several pre-clinical studies have shown that this technique can further save healthy tissue while effectively destroying tumour cells. In addition, the very short irradiation time eliminates any movement of the organ or tumour, ensuring more precise and controlled targeting.
Thanks to this major partnership, Gustave Roussy will be the first centre in France to use THERYQ’s FLASH radiotherapy machine. Prior to its mainstream use, a clinical study will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of FLASH radiotherapy in skin cancer patients. The results of this study could have a significant impact on skin cancer management, thereby paving the way for new therapeutic breakthroughs, including in the treatment of all solid tumours.
Professor Eric Deutsch, Head of Gustave Roussy’s Department of Radiotherapy, said: “Introducing this system will allow FLASH radiation therapy, a significant evolution from current methods, to undergo thorough clinical testing. The reduced number of sessions, along with the possibility of minimizing radiation-induced side effects, will lead to more tolerable and effective treatments. We are fully invested in and motivate by this project, which fuels the hope of significantly improving therapeutic management.”
Mr. Ludovic Le Meunier, CEO of THERYQ, added: “We are delighted to work with Gustave Roussy, a pioneer in cancer research and treatment, to introduce FLASH radiation therapy in France. This collaboration marks a key milestone in our goal to deliver advanced treatment solutions to patients. FLASH radiotherapy has tremendous potential to improve skin cancer patient management and we look forward to this study’s results.”
Gustave Roussy and THERYQ are committed to pursuing their joint effort to develop innovative treatments for the benefit of patients, leading to more effective and tolerable radiotherapy thanks to this promising technology.
