Collaboration to target image-guided laser ablation for prostate cancer

Clinical Laserthermia Systems (CLS; Lund, Sweden) and Exact Imaging (Markham, ON, Canada) will enter into a commercial collaboration to jointly optimize a product for high-resolution micro-ultrasound guided focused laser ablation (FLA). The goal is to offer the urologic market a solution for image-guided focal therapy in patients with localized prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Related: MRI-guided laser ablation shows promise for prostate cancer treatment

CLS markets and sells its TRANBERG thermal therapy system for image-guided FLA in the U.S. and European markets. Image-guided means that the physician uses magnetic resonance images (MRI) or ultrasound images, for example, to identify targets, guide placement of instruments, and for monitoring the FLA treatment. Exact Imaging's ExactVu micro-ultrasound platform is used primarily for image guidance during targeted prostate biopsy procedures.

CLS believes the 29 MHz ExactVu micro-ultrasound platform dramatically increases the user’s ability to see diseased tissue, to correctly place CLS instruments, and to better monitor the FLA treatment itself, explains Dan Mogren, CCO at CLS. The intention, he says, is to offer the urologic market a safe, cost-effective solution for focal therapy of prostate cancer and BPH.

The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of entering into a commercial collaboration during 2018, where they will market and sell a jointly optimized product for micro-ultrasound guided FLA treatment in prostate.

CLS' products are currently included in a clinical study at Toronto General Hospital (Toronto, ON, Canada). The study investigates image-guided FLA of localized prostate cancer, and is being conducted at the hospital's initiative and comprises 25 patients.

For more information, please visit www.clinicallaser.se and www.exactimaging.com.