MEDICAL ALLEY, MN – Histosonics, a Plymouth-based startup developing a novel robotic platform to offer innovative, non-invasive cancer treatments, is collaborating with the University of Minnesota Medical School as one of a select few study sites in the #HOPE4LIVER trial.
The goal of #HOPE4LIVER is to advance already positive clinical data for a new technology called histotripsy, which uses focused ultrasound to liquefy and destroy tumors without ever entering the body. Through this new trial, Histosonics hopes to enroll and treat patients who have liver tumors that are currently considered inoperable.
Histotripsy is currently in clinical trial stages and has not been cleared by the FDA. This research led, in part, by the U of M Medical School will be an important step in seeking regulatory approval, if successful.
“Histotripsy may be able to help the body’s own immune system attack the cancer that’s within,” said Dr. Shamar Young, an interventional radiologist with the U of M Medical School and M Health Fairview and the study’s principal investigator. “The current study will determine if this non-invasive treatment can achieve improved results for our patients.”
Steffen Hovard, Interim CEO of the Medical Alley Association commented, “Collaborations between organizations like Histosonics and the U of M Medical School are a shining example of the benefits of working within a dynamic business ecosystem like Medical Alley, The Global Epicenter of Health Innovation and Care®.”
The #HOPE4LIVER trial site led by the U of M Medical School expects to begin enrolling patients this summer along with up to seven other participating sites in the U.S. Eventually, Histosonics plans to develop additional trials using histotripsy for the kidney, pancreas and other areas of the body.
Those clinicians and researchers involved with the current trial hope that histotripsy will provide answers and innovation for those studying liver cancer.
“The U of M Medical School has a proud history of groundbreaking innovation that improves healthcare for all of us,” said Dr. Eric Jensen, Professor and Chief of Surgical Oncology with the U of M Medical School and M Health Fairview. “We’re proud to work alongside other institutions to determine whether or not this is a viable treatment option for patients with liver cancer.”
