Elekta introduces new radiotherapy solution to help address worldwide cancer burden

- Elekta Harmony to shorten treatment times and reduce footprint while maintaining high precision

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) today introduced its Elekta Harmony* linear accelerator (linac), a cancer treatment system designed to meet healthcare centers' need for a productive, precise and versatile radiotherapy treatment system. Harmony perfectly balances productivity, versatility and precision without compromise, making it a solution for both mature and developing markets.

The global cancer burden is expected to rise by 20 percent as a result of Covid-19.** Furthermore, access to radiotherapy globally is unequal, with 95 percent of all radiation therapy equipment available to only 20 percent of the world's population. The global shortage of linacs is well over 10,000 units.

"Elekta Harmony marks a new chapter in cancer treatments, taking us one step closer to access for all," says Gustaf Salford, Elekta's Acting President and CEO. "That's why it's rewarding to launch a linac where we haven't compromised but instead attained a perfect balance, tailored for both mature and emerging markets."

A new chapter

Elekta Harmony was designed to address this demand for radiotherapy through an ideal balance that will enable clinicians to use a variety of cutting-edge techniques to treat most indications, including breast, lung, pelvic and head-and-neck cancers.

With its comprehensive capabilities - combined with a shorter treatment slot of up to 25 percent, and a 30 percent smaller footprint than Elekta's other linacs - Harmony is a practical system both for developing markets and those where radiotherapy is already well-established.

"One of my favorite features of Harmony is the simple, guided, "follow-me" workflows with an easy-to-learn user interface at the center or `heart' of the linac," says Maurits Wolleswinkel, President Linac Solutions for Elekta. "This interface provides the treatment team all the information they need, when they need it, allowing them to remain by a patient's side during setup."

A linac built for the times

Producing a sophisticated radiotherapy device is just one part of treating cancer successfully. With Harmony, Elekta has made radiotherapy accessible to virtually any center that needs it - be it a new service in an underserved area or a well-established provider seeking to boost its treatment volume with high-quality care.

This new system will provide enhanced:

• Productivity: the new FastTrack in-room experience reduces patient setup time by as much as 50 percent***. Combined with further workflow enhancements, treatment slots can be reduced by up to 25 percent, enabling clinicians to deliver high-quality cancer care to more patients.
• Precision: a best-in-class multi-leaf collimator provides one-millimeter resolution beam-shaping across the full 40 cm X 40 cm field size, which provides "shrink-wrapped" sub-millimeter conformality around the tumor target.
• Versatility: the option of multiple energies, treatment techniques and imaging modalities, providing the versatility needed to treat the most common indications, including breast, lung, pelvic and head-and-neck cancers.

For more information, visit: https://findyourbalance.elekta.com/.

*Elekta Harmony is pending CE submission, not available in all markets.

**Estimating excess mortality in people with cancer and multimorbidity in the COVID-19 emergency. 10.13140/RG.2.2.34254.82242.

***Data maintained internally

For further information, please contact:

Mattias Thorsson
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Tel: +46 70 865 8012,
E-mail: Mattias.Thorsson@elekta.com

Time zone: CET: Central European Time

Raven Canzeri
Global Public Relations Manager
Tel: +1-770 670 2524
E-mail: Raven.Canzeri@elekta.com

Time zone: ET: Eastern Time

About Elekta

For almost five decades, Elekta has been a leader in precision radiation medicine. Our more than 4,000 employees worldwide are committed to ensuring everyone in the world with cancer has access to - and benefits from - more precise, personalized radiotherapy treatments. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Elekta is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm Exchange. Visit elekta.com or follow @Elekta on Twitter.

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SOURCE Elekta