Varian Medical (NYSE:VAR) said today it won Shonin approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for its Halcyon image-guided volumetric intensity modulated radiotherapy cancer treatment system.
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company said its Halcyon IMRT system features improvements that make it more comfortable for patients and streamline operator’s workflow, only requiring 9 steps from start to treatment, down from 30 steps in legacy machines.
Varian Medical said the device is designed to handle “the majority” of cancer patients, including individuals with prostate, breast, head & neck and other forms of cancer.
“Since its introduction just a few months ago, Halcyon has received an enthusiastic response from clinicians around the world and we are pleased that it is now available in Japan. The main goal of the Halcyon development was to increase the availability of cost-effective advanced cancer care worldwide. Achieving Shonin approval is an important milestone in realizing this goal,” oncology systems biz prez Kolleen Kennedy said in a press release.
Varian Medical won FDA approval for the Halcyon system in July.
