A Medical Device Daily

TomoTherapy (Madison, Wisconsin) said it has partnered with Integra Radionics (Burlington, Massachusetts), a subsidiary of Integra LifeSciences (Plainsboro, New Jersey), to develop and distribute the InterFix radiosurgery kit. The kit includes a suite of fixation products that have been adapted for use in stereotactic procedures using the TomoTherapy Hi Art treatment system.

According to Del Coufal, VP of marketing for TomoTherapy, the InterFix kit complements the Hi Art treatment system well.

“Radionics products are used in cancer centers around the world. With the InterFix kit, their head rings and fixation tools will work seamlessly with our system, adding to the clinical confidence our integrated CT guidance and helical delivery already make possible,” Coufal said.

TomoTherapy has been marketing its Hi Art system since 2003. The Hi Art system is an advanced and versatile radiation therapy system for the treatment of a wide variety of cancers. It is designed to combine integrated CT imaging with radiation therapy to deliver radiation treatments with speed and precision while reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

“More and more cancer centers around the world are adopting TomoTherapy’s technology,” said Christopher von Jako, general manager of Integra. “As innovators in the field of radiosurgery, it is important for us develop tools for this platform. We’re excited about this opportunity.”

In other agreements: NeoStem (New York), a company that collects, processes and stores adult stem cells for use in times of critical medical need, said it has entered into an alliance with New England Cryogenic Center (NECC; Newton, Massachusetts).

According to NeoStem, NECC will increase its ability to service its expanding Physician’s Network that serves clients interested in banking their stem cells.

“Signing an agreement with a renowned partner such as NECC provides further validation for NeoStem’s next generation stem cell services,” said Mark Weinreb, president of NeoStem. “We believe this is a significant achievement in the company’s development as we prepare for what we believe will be a ramping up of demand by consumers to have their stem cells collected and stored on the East Coast to protect their future health.”

NECC will be among the world’s first facilities to offer the processing and storing of adult stem cells from healthy adults for their own future therapeutic use, according to NeoStem. NECC will leverage NeoStem’s processes that allow patients to store their own stem cells for long periods of time to ensure prompt access in times of critical medical need. These cells are considered autologous because the donor uses them for personal use.

“NeoStem continues to achieve strategic milestones during this very exciting period of expansion,” said Robin Smith, MD, CEO of NeoStem. “This new facility exemplifies our continued growth as it will provide ample capacity to store adult stem cells from what we expect to be an international customer base. NeoStem continues to execute on its first-to-market business strategy as a means to generate revenues and build shareholder value.”

With collection centers in California and Pennsylvania, NeoStem has begun processing and storing patients’ stem cells, collected by medical practitioners.