BSD Medical is Now Pyrexar Medical

Our friends at Thermosome continue to move their drug targeting platform forward. In a recent video, (shown below) they describe the development of their drug targeting system using focal heat as the release trigger.

BSD-2000 3D/MR makes an appearance at 01:03

Thermosome has developed a drug release system that targets the tumor with a 10 to 15 times higher local drug concentration over standard delivery. They do this by micro-encapsulating approved chemo drugs with a shell of thermosensitive liposomes (TSL). The TSL encapsulated drug is circulated via IV to the patient during the thermal therapy treatment, only releasing it when the surrounding environment reaches 42˚C, which is 5˚C higher than average body temperature.  

Deep Regional Hyperthermia plays an important role by creating the necessary 42˚C microenvironment around the tumor. Combining Thermosome with the BSD-2000 3D/MR provides stable temperatures in a defined focal region.  Additional patient benefit is derived from the positive thermal effects of increased blood flow and perfusion at the tumor site, the immune modulation generated by heating, and the increased concentration of chemotherapeutics.  The visual aspect of the MRI guidance (3D heat zone mapping) offers operator assurance that the tumor area is entirely at the target temperature when the drug is administered. 

Thermosome is actively looking for partners, learn more about at http://www.thermosome.com/

Hanoi High Tech and Digestive Center at the St. Paul Hospital in Vietnam launches its thermal oncology program with the assistance of Dr. Mark Hurwitz. In the photo above, Dr. Hurwitz is explaining the functions of the thermal mapping probe of the newly installed BSD-2000 3D deep regional hyperthermia system.

Saint Paul General Hospital opened the Digestive Center in 2017, specializing in endoscopic surgery and the treatment of digestive disease including stomach and pelvic cancers. Built following European standards, it is the country’s leading endoscopic surgery facility.

Dr. Hurwitz was invited to lecture on hyperthermia best practices and share his vast knowledge and experiences in the field of thermal oncology and its role in cancer treatment.

Dr. Hurwitz is a globally known thermal oncologist and radiation oncologist. He is currently Vice-Chair for Quality, Safety & Performance Excellence, and Director of Thermal Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, at Jefferson Health, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Often a featured lecturer at conferences throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, his hands-on clinical knowledge of both deep regional and superficial thermal therapy prepares new sites, like St. Paul, to become leaders in this cancer treatment technology.

A special thanks to Pyrexar Medical Vietnam distributor Thai Thinh Medical for sponsoring this event. 

The University Hospital Campus Bio-Medico Rome announced the opening of its new thermal oncology unit with the acquisition of two new Linacs and two new hyperthermia treatment systems.  The hospital chose the Pyrexar BSD-500 Superficial/Interstitial System and a BSD-2000 Deep Regional Hyperthermia System to improve cancer treatment. In an article published in the Corriere Della Sera, the hospital shared the following reasons for investing in hyperthermia, a vital cancer treatment technology.

A special thanks to our distributor, Tema Sinergie, for their excellent representation and continuing efforts in expanding hyperthermia throughout Italy.

Pyrexar Medical exhibited at the PTCOG-NA (Particle Therapy Cooperative Group - North America) held at the Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida. 

The conference organizers invited Dr. Zeljko Vujaskovic, Director of the Division of Translational Radiation Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, to be a featured speaker at the event.  Dr. Vujaskovic presented "Hyperthermia and Protons: Is This the Safe Way to Get the 'Carbon Effect'?" which included some clinical results from the dual therapy. Dr. Vujaskovic and his team at the UMMC have been treating patients with combined hyperthermia and proton beam since the center opened in 2015. The hospital treats patients with the BSD-500 Superficial/Interstitial and the BSD-2000 Deep Regional Hyperthermia System along with protons with great success. His colleague, Dr. J.D. Snider, presented "Concurrent Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy and Hyperthermia: Growing Experience with Promising Results."

(L to R) Dr. Gerhard Sennewald, Dr. Sennewald Medizintechnik; Mark Falkowski, CEO and Mark Kidd, VP Sales and Business Development; Pyrexar Medical

Adding hyperthermia to proton therapy is not new. A BSD-2000 Deep Regional Hyperthermia System located at Kantonsspital Aarau, Switzerland, has established protocols for the combined treatment with excellent outcomes. But the hyperthermia suite and the proton center are a 30-minute drive apart.  Therapeutic results can undoubtedly be achieved within the dual therapies recommended target window, but for obvious reasons, this can be a deterrent in best practice and clinical testing. Now with the world's first proton therapy and hyperthermia in the same center (See Hyperthermia + Proton Beam, Now in the US), there are more significant opportunities for clinical research.