Neuboron Therapy System (NTS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Neuboron Medtech, announced today it has approved an approximate USD 10 million of minority equity investment from TAE Life Sciences (TLS), a US-based leading manufacturer of Vacuum Insulated Tandem Accelerator, to form a Joint-Venture with international capital. The participation of TAE Life Sciences will strengthen NTS’s supply chain for its NeuPexTM, NTS’s accelerator-based Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (AB-BNCT) system. The new Joint-Venture is expected to expand Neuboron Therapy System’s global influence and speed up the deployment of NeuPexTM for the benefit of cancer patients globally.
“Neuboron Medtech, established in 2014 in Nanjing, China, is the most promising BNCT total solution provider as well as the developer of the accelerator-based BNCT (AB-BNCT) system, treatment planning system, Monte-Carlo based dose engine, and tumor-targeting boron carriers, among others. Neuboron Medtech has deployed over 500 patented and intellectual property protected technologies in its BNCT total solution. We established Neuboron Therapy System in 2017 to focus on the development and commercialization of NeuPexTM for global market. The NeuPexTM can effectively deliver a high-quality neutron beam using low-energy protons from either electromagnetic (e.g. RFQ) or electrostatic (e.g. tandem) accelerators. This Joint-Venture demonstrates an in-depth collaboration of leading players in high-end medical equipments to fight cancers together for all human beings.” said Prof. Yuan-Hao Liu, chief scientist and CEO of Neuboron.
“Neuboron Medtech has built a strong global ecosystem for BNCT development over the past six years under the leadership of Prof. Yuan-Hao Liu, who has accumulated, from BNCT fundamental researches to clinical studies, nearly 20 years of rich experience. He also plays a key role in the global BNCT community. With this newly formed Joint-Venture, TAE Life Sciences will undoubtedly become a reliable supplier of particle accelerator for NeuPexTM, as well as play a valuable role in our BNCT global ecosystem. We have quite pleasant experience working with TAE Life Sciences over the past four years. I believe this Joint-Venture will deepen our long-term partnership in global BNCT business. On behalf of Neuboron Medtech’s board of directors, I’d like to give TAE Life Sciences a red-carpet welcome,” said Dr. Chih Chen, the co-founder of Neuboron Medtech and former vice president of GE.
Neuboron Therapy System is currently installing a NeuPexTM at the BNCT center of Xiamen Humanity Hospital, and plans to launch clinical trial in the second half of 2021. Equipped with three (two horizontal and one vertical) treatment rooms, the Xiamen BNCT Center is so far the largest accelerator-based BNCT treatment facility in the world, which will also serve as an international harbor for global BNCT research and clinical studies in the near future. With the participation of its new partner, Neuboron Medtech is expected to further BNCT benefits to more cancer patients in the world.
About BNCT
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a newly recognized technology for precise cancer treatment. Known as a heavy-ion treatment at the cellular level, BNCT has demonstrated promising clinical efficacy in the treatment of recurrent, invasive, metastatic, and untreatable cancers, particularly head and neck cancers, brain tumors, and malignant melanoma. In the process of BNCT treatment, a patient is first infused with a targeted boron drug-carrying 10B, which is a stable and non-toxic boron isotope. The targeted drug can selectively accumulate in the tumor cells. After infusion, external irradiation with a directional, low-energy epithermal neutron beam is applied to the tumor region. The neutron irradiation triggers the nuclear capture reaction of 10B (mostly absorbed by cancer cells) and releases two high-energy heavy ions (4He and 7Li) that travel within 10 micrometers (close to one cellular size). The heavy ions can destroy the DNA double helix of cancer cells while limiting damage to the surrounding normal cells.
As NTS’s accelerator-based BNCT system, NeuPexTM is currently not available for commercial use as it has yet to be approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China, nor the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
