Advanced Oncotherapy says it is on track to have a fully operational LIGHT system in 2021

Advanced Oncotherapy PLC (LON:AVO) confirmed it was on track to have a fully operational proton beam therapy unit in 2021 with “good progress” being made at the assembly facility in Daresbury, Cheshire. It has hit a number of key landmarks in recent weeks. In a technical update, investors were told the LIGHT system is now capable of supporting the delivery of a proton pulse every five milliseconds. This occurred following the conditioning of the high-power radio-frequency (RF) accelerating units with the optimal RF phase and amplitude stability reached. AVO said the maximum intensity of the proton beam was achieved during the initial conditioning phase with the kit now ready to support “more efficient treatment plans and delivery”. It added that a “key roadblock” in the form of software integration has now been negotiated. "We have continued to make good progress with the set-up of our assembly site in Daresbury, a stepping-stone in our plan for the commercial roll-out of LIGHT, and remain committed to our operational plan and key deliverables set out for 2021 despite COVID-19,” said chief executive Nicolas Serandour. “We are on track to have a fully operational LIGHT system in 2021. As part of the integration and conditioning of our first commercial LIGHT system, we have achieved excellent results which support the differentiated and versatile profile of our LIGHT offering." The company has created a smaller and more affordable proton therapy technology than that currently on the market. The major plus point of this new approach is that it can pinpoint tumours more precisely than radiotherapy, which means less damage to surrounding healthy tissues. However, proton therapy facilities have traditionally been pricey and large, requiring a space the size of a football pitch to run. Advanced Oncotherapy has solved this problem. The first instalment will be in the basement of a townhouse in Harley Street, central London. Its modular design, lighter-weight and better proton efficiency also help to keep costs down, which should open proton therapy up to many more patients. In its technical update on Monday, AVO pointed to studies presented to the American Society for Radiation Oncology “demonstrating the superiority of the proton beam generated by LIGHT”.