The collaboration will proceed in phases, with The Royal Marsden as the first center to participate and no commercial product yet announced.

Accuray (NASDAQ: ARAY) has entered into agreements with Samsung NeuroLogica to pursue advanced volumetric imaging for its CyberKnife radiation therapy system, with development planned in technical, clinical and commercial phases. Future developments remain subject to ongoing evaluation and applicable regulatory requirements.

No commercial product has been announced, and the companies have not disclosed a development timeline.

Accuray disclosed the agreements Sept. 27 as the companies highlighted the collaboration at the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO) annual meeting in Boston. Financial terms were disclosed.

Samsung HME America, Inc. does business as Samsung NeuroLogica. It provides ultrasound, digital radiography and computed tomography (CT) imaging to U.S. healthcare providers. It also serves as the global manufacturing center for Samsung's mobile CT business. Accuray develops radiation therapy systems for oncology and neuro-radiosurgery.

Collaboration to combine imaging experience with treatment expertise

The collaboration brings Samsung NeuroLogica's mobile CT and volumetric imaging capabilities together with Accuray's robotic radiosurgery, precision treatment delivery and motion-management systems. Accuray said customers have identified additional imaging capabilities as a priority for treatment efficiency and clinical decision-making.

Accuray CEO Steve La Neve said the company does not believe every capability needs to be developed internally and that partnerships can bring together specialized expertise around customer and patient needs.

Companies to bring imaging closer to treatment decisions

Accuray said the collaboration is intended to bring additional imaging information closer to treatment decision-making. It said the effort will maintain the regulatory rigor required in radiation oncology. Practitioners have told Accuray that volumetric imaging could provide additional visualization of patient anatomy in the treatment environment and support future clinical workflows.

Boris Geyzer, head of business for mobile CT at Samsung HME America, said the discussion with Accuray begins with a clinical need for better visualization of anatomy in the treatment room. He said Samsung NeuroLogica believes the combined expertise can facilitate the use of volumetric imaging to address such needs.

Royal Marsden to take part in collaboration

Nicholas van As, a consultant clinical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said the trust is the first center worldwide to participate in the collaboration. He said he has long been interested in what volumetric imaging could add to CyberKnife's non-coplanar treatment delivery and real-time motion management.

Van As said volumetric imaging could allow clinicians to see the treatment target and surrounding anatomy together during treatment, potentially supporting decisions about adapting treatment to anatomy on the day.

Neither company has disclosed a timeline for the phases

The agreements follow a non-binding letter of intent Accuray disclosed in a July 29 SEC filing. The filing said the proposed partnership would address volumetric imaging technologies and that its scope and terms were subject to further negotiations and definitive agreements. The Sept. 27 release did not say whether the new agreements represent the definitive agreements contemplated in the filing.