Erlangen University Hospital and Nucletron announce a strategic collaboration

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Nucletron, a leading provider of state-of-the-art radiotherapy solutions for cancer treatment, today announced the designation of Erlangen University Hospital in Germany as a European Research and Development Center of Excellence.  Nucletron and Erlangen University have entered into a strategic collaboration agreement for Nucletron’s Brachytherapy development programs.

As one of the largest centers for brachytherapy in Germany and Europe, the Division of Interventional Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy), Erlangen University Hospital has established a significant clinical practice and research expertise in a range of body sites and techniques, such as breast (including partial breast irradiation), prostate, head and neck, and gynecological cancers.  Active since 1983, the group last year opened a dedicated center for “Interventionelle Strahlentherapie (Interventional Radiation Therapy)”, incorporating the most recent technologies and equipment. The new center includes the latest High Dose Rate (HDR) and Pulsed Dose Rate (PDR) Brachytherapy equipment available from Nucletron, with a total of 5 afterloaders. The Division of Interventional Radiation Therapy (Brachytherapy) treats a high number of patients using modern image-guided brachytherapy, and has a dedicated surgical theatre incorporating online imaging using  3-D cone-beam CT and 3D-ultrasound devices with functional imaging.

With this new collaboration to create a dedicated European R&D Center of Excellence, the Erlangen team, led by Prof Dr Vratislav Strnad, Professor of Radiation Oncology and Head of Brachytherapy at Erlangen, will bring this experience and insight to bear in working with Nucletron to develop new technologies building on the ongoing improvements in brachytherapy.  The strategic collaboration agreement with Nucletron will provide Erlangen University Hospital with early access to Nucletron’s newest technology for testing and early clinical application.

“Last year we celebrated a major event in opening our new, state-of-the-art brachytherapy department.  Through treating more than 400 patients a year, we have had the opportunity to gain insights into both technical and clinical needs in modern brachytherapy, as well as to provide important clinical benefits to these patients.  In turn, we are looking forward to bringing these “real world” insights into our new partnership with Nucletron.  We’re excited about this opportunity to partner in making further contributions in enhancing the science and practice of brachytherapy”, said Prof Dr Strnad.  “We are also looking forward to opportunities in the near future to build on our leading edge educational and training programs at Erlangen.” 

John Lapré, Nucletron’s Vice-President of Research and Development, said, “The unique set-up in Erlangen University Hospital and the excellent worldwide reputation and experience of Prof. Strnad in Brachytherapy provides an optimal infrastructure for assessing our newest products and for enabling rapid evaluation of clinical use of future developments in brachytherapy. Nucletron is pleased to have such a strategic collaboration with this key brachytherapy site in Europe that is effectively treating many patients with our technology”. 

About Erlangen University Hospital

The University Hospital Erlangen was founded at 1824. 24 departments, 19 independent divisions and six institutes cover the full range of medical specialties. A close interdisciplinary co-operation ensures that patients are treated where it is best for them. Interdisciplinary centers are also active in the management of complex diseases. The University Hospital Erlangen is one of largest in Germany, with over 1400 beds, and treats over 65,000 in-patients and 370,000 out-patients annually. The University Hospital Erlangen’s mission is to drive progress and medical advances through research. Its goal is to translate new scientific knowledge rapidly into innovative working methods. Patients at the University Hospital benefit from this directly.  Its physicians are often able to offer experimental procedures not available at other centers. The Department of Radiation Oncology has made a significant contribution to the development of radiation oncology in Germany. It is the reference center for different tumor types and is involved in various international co-operations. The Division of Interventional Radiation Therapy of the Department of Radiation Oncology Erlangen is one of  the most modern departments of its kind in Europe, and is also one of leading training centers for brachytherapy in Germany.

About Nucletron

Nucletron provides state of the art radiotherapy solutions for cancer treatment that meet the evolving needs of patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals around the world. Nucletron has unmatched global leadership in brachytherapy, a very precise, highly effective and well-tolerated treatment option for healthcare providers, tailored to the needs of individual patients. We work with clinical teams to constantly improve and develop an innovative portfolio of integrated products, software and services that assures excellent patient outcomes.  Headquartered in Veenendaal, The Netherlands, Nucletron employs more than 500 employees, with offices in 18 countries, and products available in more than 100 countries around the world. Please visit https://www.nucletron.com/ to learn more about our healthcare solutions.

About Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy is a high-precision radiation therapy in which the radiation source used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors is placed in or close to the tumor itself. Brachytherapy offers a precise, highly effective and well-tolerated treatment option tailored to the needs of individual patients. Using brachytherapy, healthcare providers can deliver a high radiation dose to the specific target area, minimizing exposure to nearby, healthy body tissues and organs.  By treating cancer “from the inside-out” the risk of side effects is reduced, and treatment times are shorter.  Find out more about brachytherapy at http://www.aboutbrachytherapy.com/