Bench2Bedside:
Tell us about Leo Cancer Care, what the core insight that you’re advancing to change care in oncology?

Stephen Towe, Chief Executive Officer:
Leo Cancer Care is focused on the radiation therapy space, which along with chemotherapy and surgery, make up the three core pillars of cancer treatment. Our core insight is recognizing that in order to make high quality radiation therapy globally accessible, we need to challenge the conventions of how radiation therapy is delivered.

We started by looking at Proton Therapy where there are currently these incredible, massive and complex, radiation therapy system, which rotate 600 tons of equipment around the stationary 200 lb. patients, and realized that there’s a chance for enormous savings if we can develop tech to challenge this norm. With a straightforward idea, rotating the lighter object, we can change the way that we think about radiation.

So, by making the radiation equipment stationary and keeping the patient upright while rotating them, we’re able to save tens of millions of dollars per machine, while substantially reducing the size of these machines. Looking at our solution, the machine itself is 20x smaller, and this allows it to be integrated into existing facilities, rather than requiring entirely new facilities to be built for a hospital system.

A key feature in broadening access to these therapies, is that a smaller, more cost and space efficient system can be much more deployable to more regions around the world. This makes our advanced system much more accessible, whether you’re seeking care at a top medical center in the U.S. or in lower-income regions of the world.

Bench2Bedside:
That seems too simple! How did laying the patient down become the standard convention in radiation therapy?

Towe:
It is a big, and significant shift. We’re confident that in the next 5 to 10 years, many across the field will look back and see how obvious of a change this was. When radiation therapy started, it was mostly the therapy for very ill cancer patients, who were diagnosed at very late stages, and they were typically bed bound. Standards of care in radiation around this mindset, and as we came to need different angles, the equipment was designed to move and rotate around the stationary patient.

But with progress across oncology, we’re diagnosing and treating patients much earlier, and we believe a system that rotates the patient can continue this progress that is more effective and more efficient, while being safer and more comfortable.

Bench2Bedside:
How does this new orientation impact outcomes? 

Towe:
I’m a big believer that in bringing about fundamental change, it’s not just about saving dollars. We believe we can save hospitals over $30 million per machine, but also global research indicates we may deliver improved clinical efficacy by staying in a natural more human position, upright. Numerous major cancer centers like MD Anderson and Northwestern have published that patients imaged in the upright position compared to supine, highlighted potentially lower motion and better stability in the liver, breast, prostate, and other organs and tissue. Obviously, when directing radiation to a target, millimeters of accuracy matter to avoid healthy tissue.

We also believe that it is a more positive experience for patients, who are more comfortable, more connected and more engaged in their treatment experience.

Bench2Bedside:
What about the patient possibly moving?

Towe:
That’s also a key question. Yes, the patient might move as they are being rotated, so we keep them stabilized. But what might be less intuitive, is the fact that in moving 600 tons vs 200 lbs., there is clearly room for mechanical error, such as shaking and wobbling when moving the larger object. So, we anticipate moving the substantially smaller object will always be much more accurate.

Bench2Bedside:
Tell us about the financing Leo Cancer Care just completed. 

Towe:
We recently announced a successful raise of approximately $40 million in a funding round led by Catalio Capital Management, with participation from new and existing investors. The funds will help with continued international expansion into diverse countries and regions across America, Asia and Europe. Leo Cancer Care is headquartered in Crawley, UK with an office in Middleton, Wisconsin. We’ve recently opened offices in Singapore and Japan, and this funding helps us more meaningfully invest into those international offices.