STOCKHOLM, May 12, 2020 - Elekta (EKTA-B.ST) today announced the launch of Leksell Gamma Knife® Lightning, its next-generation treatment optimizer that represents a significant step forward in the already efficient workflows for the integrated Leksell Gamma Knife® stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) system. Leksell Gamma Knife Lightning is the only fully integrated automated treatment planning solution for Gamma Knife that enables plan optimization based on parameters that include beam-on time constraints. Expertly built plans for multiple targets can be created in less than one minute while providing significant savings in the duration of treatment delivery.

Speaking about his experience with the Leksell Gamma Knife, Dheerendra Prasad, MD, Professor of Oncology, Neurosurgery and Radiation Medicine at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, says: "With over 600 patients treated every year and a majority being metastatic brain tumor patients, we see any technology that reduces planning times, particularly in cases of multiple metastases, and offers optimization and ultimately reduction in treatment delivery times as an enhancement of the patient care experience and a quantum jump in the use of radiosurgery in the brain."

Arjun Sahgal, MD, Head of the Cancer Ablation Therapy Program, Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Canada shares his observations: "We have seen savings in terms of time, intra-user variability and from a plan quality point of view, I am extremely happy with the way this is going. I think it's a major advance for the Gamma Knife, I think it has a massive impact across board and it is a product that is going to make clinical impact."

Commenting on how this can help new centers ramp up their SRS capabilities quickly, Dr. Sahgal adds: "You can now get maximal plans, in terms of conformality and sparing but you are taking out that learning curve that needs to be gradually increased amongst new centers, which is just part of the natural history of learning how to plan Gamma Knife cases."

Leksell Gamma Knife Lightning can create multiple plans in less than a minute based on the desired parameters, enabling simple comparison of plan options and selection of the plan most appropriate for each patient. Additionally, the ability to manipulate beam-on time creates treatment plans with the most efficient radiation delivery parameters and sequences, reducing beam-on time by up to 50 percent compared with manual forward planning.[1]

"Having dedicated most of my professional life to supporting those who are committed to high-quality intracranial care, I know firsthand that one of their biggest challenges is trying to balance the increasing demand for automation and speed against their urgent desire to provide SRS that is personalized and adapted to each patient," says Verena Schiller, Elekta's President, Neuroscience Solutions. "Consistent with our outside-in approach, which is based on developing solutions that address real clinical need, Leksell Gamma Knife Lightning was designed to meet this challenge and empower physicians to focus on patient-centric care while increasing operational efficiency."

Leksell Gamma Knife Lightning is not yet commercially available and will be available clinically from end of June.

For more information, visit elekta.com/GammaKnifeLightning (http://www.elekta.com/GammaKnifeLightning)

[1]Sjölund, J., Riad, S., Hennix, M. and Nordström, H. (2019), A linear programming approach to inverse planning in Gamma Knife radiosurgery. Med. Phys., 46: 1533-1544. doi:10.1002/mp.13440 (https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.13440)

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For further information, please contact:
Mattias Thorsson, Vice President, Corporate Communications
Tel: +46 70 865 8012, e-mail: Mattias.Thorsson@elekta.com  
Time zone: CET: Central European Time

Raven Canzeri, Global Public Relations Manager
Tel: +1 770 670 2524, e-mail: Raven.Canzeri@elekta.com
Time zone: ET: Eastern Time

About Elekta
For almost five decades, Elekta has been a leader in precision radiation medicine. Our nearly 4,000 employees worldwide are committed to ensuring everyone in the world with cancer has access to - and benefits from - more precise, personalized radiotherapy treatments. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Elekta is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm Exchange. Visit elekta.com (http://www.elekta.com) or follow @Elektaon Twitter.