AMERICAN SHARED HOSPITAL SERVICES (NYSE MKT:AMS), a
leading provider of turnkey technology solutions for advanced
radiosurgical and radiation therapy services, today shared an
announcement from Mevion Medical Systems, developer of the MEVION
S250 Proton Therapy System for cancer treatment, that the world’s
first MEVION S250 proton therapy treatment has been delivered to a
patient at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
AMS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ernest A. Bates, M.D.,
said, "Treatment of the first patient on the MEVION S250 Proton
Therapy System is a major step in increasing the availability of
this cutting-edge cancer fighting technology. Until now, widespread
adoption of proton therapy has been limited by the high capital and
operating costs of conventional systems. Because of its
significantly lower capital and operating costs, we believe many
leading cancer centers will now consider providing proton therapy
with the MEVION S250 system. AMS’s proven financing model can help
make this happen. AMS’ first MEVION S250 system is under
installation at Orlando Health in Orlando, FL. We currently have
commitments for two additional MEVION S250 systems and anticipate
that we will place many more orders."
AMS owns an equity interest in Mevion, and will supply a MEVION
S250 for the proton center now under construction at Orlando
Health, in addition to other projects under development:
World’s First MEVION S250 Proton
Therapy Treatment Delivered at Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Landmark event represents a new era
in radiation therapy.
ST. LOUIS, M.O., December 19, 2013 -- A
patient with a rare type of cancer called chondrosarcoma at the
base of the skull has become the first person in the world to
receive proton therapy using the revolutionary MEVION S250 Proton
Therapy System from Mevion Medical Systems, Inc. of Littleton, MA.
Radiation oncologists at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish
Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
delivered the treatment. The S. Lee Kling Proton Therapy Center at
Barnes-Jewish Hospital is home to the MEVION S250, a unique proton
therapy device designed to deliver the same precise, non-invasive
treatments delivered by conventional proton systems but with a
greatly reduced physical footprint, streamlined clinical workflow,
and significantly lower implementation and operational costs.
“We are extremely pleased and proud to open
the Kling Proton Therapy Center for the St. Louis community and
beyond,” said Rich Liekweg, President of Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
The closest proton therapy center is over 230 miles away from St.
Louis. “The ability to add proton therapy to our world-class cancer
care program in a significantly smaller and more economical package
is imperative in today’s challenging health care environment.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital is the first in the world to operate a
single-room proton therapy system and the addition of this advanced
technology continues our tradition of providing the best care for
our patients.”
Proton therapy delivers highly precise doses
of radiation while limiting unnecessary radiation to healthy
tissue, potentially decreasing radiation side effects and improving
patient outcomes. Mevion’s ability to provide this advanced
treatment in a compact form is an industry first, leading the way
in providing patients and clinicians access to proton therapy
without the high entry and maintenance costs plaguing conventional
proton systems. “Today’s important landmark event represents the
beginning of a new era in proton radiation therapy. The ability to
treat with this advanced technology is no longer encumbered by
astronomical costs, prohibitive space requirements, and
technologically cumbersome systems that to date have defined this
treatment modality,” stated Joseph K. Jachinowski, Chief Executive
Officer of Mevion Medical Systems. “The MEVION S250 proves that all
the benefits and more of these legacy proton therapy systems can be
delivered in a fiscally responsible manner.”
The pioneering proton team at the Kling
Proton Therapy Center has been working diligently for the past
several months running the MEVION S250 through independent and
rigorous clinical quality assurance tests to ensure that system
specifications, safety, and reliability requirements are met. “The
advanced clinical workflow provided by the MEVION S250 and its full
integration within the clinic has made it simple and
straightforward to train the radiation therapy staff and prepare
their clinic for day-to-day treatments,” said Dr. Stanley
Rosenthal, Vice President of Clinical Systems and Education. “The
initial training experience of the therapists demonstrates that the
MEVION S250 workflow and delivery times are comparable to today’s
image-guided radiation therapy techniques.”
“The teams from Barnes-Jewish Hospital and
Mevion have worked tirelessly and diligently to arrive at this
seminal event. The opportunity to bring a revolutionary medical
device into routine clinical use that will improve the lives of
many people around the globe isn’t something that happens often. We
have all been touched by this event and we couldn’t be prouder to
be a part of this team,” added Jachinowski.
Four additional MEVION S250 proton therapy
systems are under installation at Robert Wood Johnson University
Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, the Stephenson Cancer Center at
Oklahoma University in Oklahoma City, OK, First Coast Oncology in
Jacksonville, FL and the Proton Therapy Center at Orlando
Health. In addition, the Seidman
Cancer Center at University Hospitals in Cleveland, OH broke ground
on their MEVION S250 center in September of this year, and has
taken delivery of the first system module, thus making Mevion
Medical Systems the leading supplier of proton therapy in the
USA.
About Mevion Medical
Systems
Mevion Medical Systems, Inc. is a radiation
therapy company dedicated to advancing the treatment of cancer. As
the pioneering developer of modern proton therapy, Mevion provides
innovative, safe, and effective solutions by transforming advances
in medical technology and science into practical clinical reality.
Mevion’s flagship product, the MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System,
is designed to preserve all of the treatment benefits of
traditional proton therapy systems while removing the obstacles of
size, cost, and complexity. Realizing this vision, Mevion has
forever changed the economics and accessibility of proton therapy
worldwide. Founded in 2004, Mevion is a privately held company
headquartered in the Boston metropolitan area with international
offices in the United Kingdom and Japan. Visit us at:
www.mevion.com.
About AMS
American Shared Hospital Services provides turnkey technology
solutions for advanced radiosurgical and radiation therapy
services. AMS is the world leader in providing Gamma Knife
radiosurgery equipment, a non-invasive treatment for malignant and
benign brain tumors, vascular malformations and trigeminal
neuralgia (facial pain). The Company also offers the latest IGRT
and IMRT systems, as well as its proprietary Operating Room for the
21st CenturySM concept. AMS owns common stock in Mevion Medical
Systems, Inc., developer of the compact MEVION S250 Proton Therapy
System.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release may be deemed to contain certain
forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition,
results of operations and future plans of American Shared Hospital
Services, which involve risks and uncertainties including, but not
limited to, the risks of the Gamma Knife and radiation therapy
businesses. Further information on potential factors that could
affect the financial condition, results of operations and future
plans of American Shared Hospital Services is included in the
filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2012, the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarters ended on March 31, 2013, June 30, 2013, September 30,
2013, and the definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of
Shareholders held on June 11, 2013.
American Shared Hospital ServicesErnest A. Bates, M.D.,
(415) 788-5300Chairman and Chief Executive Officere.bates@ashs.comBerkman AssociatesNeil
Berkman, (310) 477-3118Presidentinfo@berkmanassociates.com
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