The five-year project funded by ARPA-H aims to develop ultra-high dose rate cancer treatments using existing linear accelerators.
The US Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has awarded Varian, a Siemens Healthineers business, up to $60 million to accelerate the development of photon Flash therapy. Siemens Healthineers will also invest $23 million as a cost share over the next five years, bringing the total commitment for the project to $83 million.
Flash photon therapy is an experimental treatment modality that delivers radiotherapy more than 100 times faster than current technologies. The approach aims to reduce side effects and improve the sparing of healthy tissue, making it possible to treat tumors where adverse reactions in surrounding tissue currently limit treatment options.
While Flash radiotherapy research has primarily focused on proton and electron beam platforms, these technologies face challenges regarding scalability and clinical access. Because photon beams remain the standard of care for more than 50% of cancer patients, Siemens Healthineers aims to create a cost-effective option that integrates into existing clinical workflows and infrastructure.
“This investment from ARPA-H strengthens our efforts to explore the potential of photon Flash therapy and to widen the possibilities for patients who may one day benefit from it,” says Arthur Kaindl, head of Varian at Siemens Healthineers, in a release. “By building on the extensive installed base of C-arm linear accelerators, we aim to speed potential adoption and enable broader access as this work progresses.”
Industry Impact and Clinical Research
“The radiation oncology community is at the forefront of cancer care, and this ARPA-H award—a milestone as the first for our field – recognizes our specialty’s unique ability to safely and effectively treat cancer,” says Sameer R. Keole, MD, chair of the American Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology Board of Directors, in a release.
Keole notes that the support for advanced research will drive the development of improved technologies and more efficient treatments for cancer patients.
Matthias Guckenberger, MD, president of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, says that radiotherapy remains underfunded in global cancer research.
“ESTRO acknowledges that the US Government (ARPA-H) has identified this missed opportunity and is contributing to closing this gap through a substantial research grant for novel radiotherapy methodologies,” says Guckenberger in a release. “This milestone highlights the transformative potential of investing in radiotherapy innovation to improve outcomes for patients worldwide.”
Through this five-year project, Siemens Healthineers intends to transition ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy from an experimental modality into a global standard of care.
Photo caption: Cancer cells
Photo credit: Siemens Healthineer
