HOUSTON and BOCA RATON, Fla. ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Empyrean Medical Systems, Inc. today announced an exclusive license and joint development agreement to advance novel technologies and products in the fields of radiation oncology and cancer therapeutics.
This agreement brings together the complementary research and development expertise of both institutions to advance innovative intellectual property from MD Anderson to improve the delivery of radiation therapy for patients with cancer.
“We are proud to collaborate with MD Anderson as we work toward bringing these novel technologies to light,” said Kal Fishman, founder, president, and chief executive officer of Empyrean Medical Systems. “Our goal is to develop multiple state-of-the-art products to deliver optimal radiation therapy for our clinicians and make a real difference for patients and their families.”
Under this agreement, Empyrean obtains an exclusive license to develop and commercialize a new approach for delivering radiation therapy originally discovered by MD Anderson researchers. The Magnetically Optimized Very High Energy Electron Therapy (MOVHEET) method has the potential to significantly improve the precision of radiation delivered by machinery with a similar footprint to conventional options.
“The combined expertise of MD Anderson and Empyrean allows us the opportunity to take advantage of dosimetric characteristics of very high energy electron beams for the treatment of malignant tumors,” said Mohammad Salehpour, Ph.D., professor of Radiation Physics at MD Anderson. “The MOVHEET system is designed from the ground up to deliver both conventional and FLASH dose rate radiotherapy with enhanced precision to increase its efficacy.”
In addition to MOVHEET, Empyrean and MD Anderson intend to collaboratively develop additional technologies based on Empyrean’s intellectual property, all with the goal of optimizing care for patients with cancer. MD Anderson will receive an equity interest in Empyrean and is eligible to receive certain royalties and other financial considerations.
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Disclosure
MD Anderson has an institutional conflict of interest with Empyrean Medical Systems due to this exclusive license and joint development agreement and is implementing an Institutional Conflict of Interest Management and Monitoring Plan for all research related to this agreement.
About Empyrean Medical Systems, Inc.:
Empyrean Medical Systems is an innovator and paradigm shifter in radiation oncology. The company aims to fundamentally change how cancer patients are treated worldwide while enhancing and improving every patient’s clinical outcome and quality of life. As a cutting-edge innovator, Empyrean aims to disrupt the fields of oncology and radiation oncology through the introduction of state-of-the-art medical devices, artificial intelligence analytical solutions, clinical applications and therapeutic agents. Empyrean’s multi-modal solutions provide personalized and effective health care, enhancing clinical productivity and improving outcomes for patients, providers, health systems and researchers worldwide. For more information, visit www.EmpyreanMed.com.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world’s most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution’s sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world. MD Anderson is one of only 53 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). MD Anderson is No. 1 for cancer in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” rankings. It has been named one of the nation’s top two hospitals for cancer since the rankings began in 1990. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
