Proton therapy is one of the most advanced radiotherapy technologies in the world, and although there are more than 100 treatment centers in the world, it is still in its infancy in China. Proton therapy devices are one of the largest and most complex medical devices at present, and the mainland proton therapy device market has been in a state of import monopoly and domestic blank for a long time.
Eptron particle beam technology R&D and equipment manufacturing base
A science and technology company that started in Shanghai, together with the industry's top scientific research and medical resources, has been immersed in tackling key problems for more than ten years, realizing the localization of proton therapy devices, reducing its high treatment price from about 300,000 yuan to 170,000 yuan, and the treatment cost is expected to be reduced in the next five to ten years, so as to achieve the ideal of "popularization of high-end particle therapy". This is Shanghai Aptron Particle Equipment Co., Ltd., located in Jiading Park, Zhangjiang High-tech Zone.
At the beginning of this year, Epstrong won the title of "Zhangjiang Star" potential enterprise in 2023. In late March, Aptron's first domestically produced proton therapy system in the Oncology Proton Center of Shanghai Ruijin Hospital welcomed its 100th patient.
Challenging the domestic "Prague Peak"
Proton therapy makes use of the physical characteristics of the "Bragg Peak" to accurately release the radiation dose on the tumor to maximize the protection of normal tissues and organs, and can be used for the treatment of various solid tumors such as chest, head and neck, abdomen, pelvic tumors and pediatric tumors.
This kind of treatment method with high precision, good efficacy, short course of treatment and few side effects, but due to foreign technology monopoly, the price has remained high, and it cannot benefit more patients in China. As early as the 90s of the last century, Shanghai began to prepare for proton and heavy ion therapy projects. The huge investment has made the Shanghai Municipal Government realize that it must accelerate the independent research and development of domestic high-end medical equipment.
The accelerator, which produces high-energy particles, is the key core device of proton therapy devices. In 2009, the first large-scale scientific device in Shanghai, Shanghai Light Source, was completed. This large-scale scientific project, which lasted for more than ten years, has honed an accelerator R&D team with international advanced level.
"The cyclotron used in proton therapy abroad is a generation behind the synchrotron, so why can't we develop it ourselves?" Soon after the completion of Shanghai Light Source, Zhao Zhentang, now an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and deputy general manager of Shanghai Light Source Engineering at that time, decided to lead the accelerator team to start a new challenge.
Proton synchrotron system
360-degree rotation of the treatment room
Under the advocacy of Fang Shouxian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and through the joint efforts of all parties, Shanghai listed the research and development of the "first domestic proton therapy demonstration device development project" as a major project for the development of strategic emerging industries in 2012. Academician Zhao Zhentang and Academician Ning Guang, President of Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, jointly led the lead. At the same time, Shanghai Lianhe Investment provides financial guarantee and industrialization support for the progress of the project.
As the backbone of the Shanghai Light Source Accelerator team, Li Rui, who once thought that he would work in the "national team" of scientific research for a lifetime, did not expect that his future life would be "deeply bound" to proton therapy.
"From developing a scientific research device to a medical device, we need to overcome a lot of difficulties." Li Rui, deputy general manager of operations of Aptron, said frankly that since its establishment in 2011, Aptron has integrated an interdisciplinary and multi-legal person "joint team", and the whole team has started the arduous exploration of domestic proton therapy equipment with the common concept of "not competing for merit, only striving for the first".
Insist on "not making souvenirs"
In the four years from 2012 to 2016, the overcoming of each key core technology was full of hardships -
The technology of digital broadband magnetic alloy loading high-frequency system is monopolized by foreign countries, and it can only be explored by itself; High saturation dynamic magnets must be iterated through prototypes to achieve the best in the world; Lightweight rotating racks and pencil beam scanning treatment heads, technologies that have never been seen before, are yet to achieve the world's best performance in the project......
Li Rui said that the R&D team has always insisted on "not making souvenirs", and must make mature, reliable and replicable domestic medical products. In 2018, the installation of the first domestic proton therapy device was completed, and a high-standard technical evaluation team composed of 13 academicians was ushered in. After review, the evaluation team believes that the equipment index has reached the world's advanced level.
Next, the more challenging test is to turn the device into a real anti-cancer weapon in the hands of doctors. At the end of 2021, after overcoming the difficulties caused by the new crown epidemic, the device welcomed its first patient. It was a patient with a recurrence of cerebrochordoma 5 years after surgery, and proton therapy was his only hope. After treatment, he has made a full recovery. This is a huge boost for the whole team.
In 2022, Aptron's domestic proton therapy device passed the registration application for innovative products of the State Food and Drug Administration and was approved for marketing; In November 2023, the device was officially put into operation at the Oncology Proton Center of Shanghai Ruijin Hospital.
On March 26 this year, Ruijin Hospital announced that the first domestic proton therapy system welcomed the 100th patient. So far, the Apqiang proton therapy device is at the same level as the current international best products in terms of treatment dose accuracy, irradiation speed and other indicators. The results of the 3-month follow-up of the treated patients showed that the local control rate of the tumor was 100%, the biochemical recurrence-free rate of prostate cancer patients was 100%, and no grade 3 or above acute toxicity occurred.
Fixed beam therapy room
180-degree rotation of the treatment room
Seize the "China outlet"
According to the statistics of the World Health Organization, in 2022, there will be more than 19.97 million new malignant tumors in the world, and more than 4.82 million new cases in China. According to data, the global proton therapy market size is expected to reach about $1.58 billion by 2031. According to the mainland's "14th Five-Year Plan for the Allocation of Large Medical Equipment", a total of 41 heavy ion proton radiation therapy systems will be deployed in public hospitals in 31 provinces and cities during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period.
"This is the Chinese outlet of particle therapy, and Apqiang must seize it." Sun Xidong, Vice President of Lianhe Investment and Chairman and General Manager of Aptron, mentioned "particle therapy", not just "proton therapy", "proton therapy is only the first step taken by Aptron, and it will develop into a broader field of particle therapy in the future".
In June 2023, Zhang Wenzhi, Li Rui, Zhang Manzhou, and Chen Zhiling officially transferred their labor relations to Aptron, "It will be our mission to maintain the leading key technology of equipment." At present, Aptron has set up a R&D team of more than 100 people. In order to better realize the optimization and iteration of the system, Aptron is building an identical equipment in the company's campus that is exactly the same as the one currently in operation. Such superior experimental conditions can almost be said to be unique in China.
However, in Sun Xidong's view, leading technology and the accumulation of successful cases are certainly the hard conditions for the promotion of domestic particle therapy equipment, but they also need more "soft environment" to boost.
After all, the introduction of a proton therapy system, connected to supporting resources, is the same investment as building a hospital. Sun Xidong revealed that they are working with financial institutions to lower the investment threshold by designing financial and insurance products, so as to promote this high-end advanced medical system into more grassroots hospitals.
In June 2023, United Imaging, a domestic medical imaging equipment giant, invested in Aptron, which undoubtedly injected more vitality into Aptron's development. By the end of this year, the second-generation product of Aptron will complete the type inspection, and its performance will be upgraded in an all-round way. "We have the technology to form products to help build the 'Healthy Silk Road'." Sun Xidong said that while exploring the domestic market, they are cooperating with Rama Hospital in Thailand and the "Belt and Road" initiative-related projects in terms of equipment supply and finance.
The views of companies and experts do not necessarily reflect the official position
Edit: zy
↓ Share
↓ Likes
↓I am looking at it