ELEKTA INVESTS IN SWEDISH ONCOLOGY START-UP
ELEKTA INVESTS IN SWEDISH ONCOLOGY START-UP Strengthening its market focus on clinical solutions, Elekta announced today it will take an interest in ONCOlog Medical QA AB through an investment of approximately SEK 5 million. A start-up company headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden, ONCOlog's mission is to advance treatment quality by providing quality assurance, safety and information logistics products for the global radiation oncology market. ONCOlog aims to enhance cancer care services through the implementation and operation of new workflow management products and clinical support services. "This is a strategic investment for Elekta and underscores our commitment to helping medical professionals with the complete clinical and patient management process in addition to supplying advanced systems, stated Laurent Leksell, CEO, Elekta. This fits extremely well with our overall company philosophy to provide clinical solutions rather than only technology continued Leksell." There is a strong trend towards cost containment in the healthcare market and certainly within the oncology specialty " stated Hans Dahlin, CEO, ONCOlog Medical. Our aim is to provide complementary products that help healthcare institutions improve patient quality of life and the cost optimization of their personnel and technical performance" Currently in the product pipeline is a QA solution for Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). This promising new method for radiation delivery has proved to be a fundamental step in improving the ability of radiotherapy to deliver improved outcomes. However the quality assurance procedures are onerous and have provided a barrier to wider uptake of this exciting new technique. Dahlin explains "IMRT is a now a proven clinical concept, however the implementation in to a routine clinical setting has proven to be labor and cost intensive. By delivering tools and support ONCOlog will streamline the process, improving efficiency while maintaining the high technical performance standards required and making implementation realistic. New products planned for the product portfolio are targeted for chemotherapy management of the pharmacy drug preparation process, database and management tools for evidence based oncology care, staff scheduling and oncology QA documentation. Elekta is a world-leading supplier of advanced and innovative radiation oncology and neurosurgery solutions and services for precise treatment of cancer and brain disorders. Elekta's solutions are clinically effective, cost efficient and gentle to the patient. For further information, please contact: Lars Jonsteg, VP Corporate Relations, Elekta AB (publ), tel. +46 8 587 254 82 More information about Elekta can be found at: www.elekta.com More information about ONCOlog can be found at: www.oncolog.net ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/06/27/20040826BIT21370/wkr0001.pdf