Calypso showcases new trial start, partnerships
Calypso Medical kicked off the start of the 50th annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) in Boston last week with the start of new clinical trials, while promoting new research grants and industry partnerships.

The company reported that it received a $1 million grant from the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia to develop a compatible version of the Calypso 4D localization system that would enable real-time tumor tracking during proton therapy for cancer treatment, utilizing GPS for the Body technology, to function in a proton therapy environment.

GPS for the Body technology uses tiny electromagnetic transponders placed in or around the tumor to provide precise, continuous information on the location of the tumor during external beam radiation therapy.

Calypso also announced the launch of the AIM (Assessing the Impact of Margin Reduction) study using GPS for the Body technology for patients receiving radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The primary objectives of the study are to evaluate acute and chronic quality-of-life assessments and complications related to external beam radiation therapy in prostate cancer patients when the Calypso 4D system is used for managing motion.

The study protocol recommends the delivery of high doses of radiation (81 Gy) to the prostate during 45 treatment sessions with tighter treatment margins while using the Calypso System to manage prostate motion. Patient enrollment is already underway in the 300-patient study, according to Calypso.

Additionally, the Seattle-based company is collaborating with Siemens Healthcare to integrate Calypso’s real-time tumor tracking data with Siemens’ linear accelerator products. The first application to be addressed under the agreement will include adaptive gating, the capability of automatically interrupting the radiation beam from a linear accelerator in response to patient motion, organ motion or tumor position.
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