California-based medtech group RefleXion Medical touted an $11.6 million Series A fundraising round, hoping to use the new funds to expand research & development efforts for its guided radiation therapy technology.

RefleXion calls its platform the "1st biologically-guided radiation therapy system for cancer treatment," combining positron emission tomography (PED) with radiation delivery to target cancerous lesions while sparing healthy surrounding tissue.

"By using PET for real-time guidance, the RefleXion system will use the tumor’s own signal to deliver radiation," RefleXion inventor and president Dr. Samuel Mazin said in prepared remarks. "We finally have a chance to make radiotherapy personal."

By using biological signals to target the cancerous tissue, doctors can use higher doses of radiation. RefleXion aims to leverage progress in PET tracers to hone in on biological signatures of cancer.

The company plans to use the news funds to boost R&D efforts in hopes of accelerating development. Lead funder Sofinnova Partners added a member, Antoine Papiernik, to RefleXion’s board of directors. Additional investor Venrock also added a board member, Colin Cahill. The new directors join chairman Jay Watkins and co-founders Mazin and Akshay Nanduri on the board of directors.