Technology Opportunities

Next-Generation Accelerators for Proton Beam Radiotherapy

Investment/ Collaboration Opportunity Highlights:

• Investment round
• Strategic co-development opportunities

About the company

HIL Applied Medical is developing a new class of proton accelerators for cancer radiotherapy.

Proton beam therapy can help 300,000 cancer patients/year (US) - yet only 8,000 receive it (that's less than 3%). Protons are arguably the most advanced form of radiation therapy - yet there are only 10 proton-therapy centers in the US (compare with 2,700 X-Ray radiation centers).

The barrier to adoption is that proton centers are prohibitively expensive to build and operate, primarily because at their heart are accelerators that rely on technology from the 1930s and '40s.

HIL is addressing this challenge by developing ultra-compact accelerators, based on high-intensity lasers and nanotech targets. They are expected to be dramatically more compact, lightweight and affordable than current accelerators (think Mini Cooper vs. a Jumbo jet).

Thus HIL may enable the long-anticipated shift, from $200M five-room football-field-sized proton centers to $12M single-room facilities. Protons will then become a financially viable add-on (and a profit center) for any community hospital's radiation therapy department.

Our vision is to make this important treatment modality available to every patient who could benefit from it, and in doing so to unleash its full $10BB/yr market potential.

Our products

We are applying a patented laser-based approach to particle acceleration. This technological breakthrough, exclusively licensed from the Hebrew University and further developed by our team of internationally-acclaimed physicists, enables dramatic reduction the size, complexity and cost of a proton accelerator. Reduced shielding requirements also contribute to substantial reduction in facility footprint and building costs (which today account for over 25% of total facility price tag).

The unique properties of laser-accelerated proton beams allow for further savings – 10X or more – in ancillary magnetic systems used for beam shaping, focusing and delivery.

A complete single-room PT system based on HIL’s accelerator is estimated to cost $8-12M – depending on configuration (with/without gantry, etc.), vs. the competitors’ $25-40MM.

HIL has one approved US patents, and 8 additional US and international filings pending; we expect more filings in the coming years. In addition, our team has accumulated unique, specialized know-how and expertise (trade secrets).

Development Milestones

HIL has a working experimental setup and completed a proof of concept at 25% energy and dose rate. The system has recently demonstrated proton energies > 45MeV and is rapidly approaching clinically-relevant energies (60-235MeV). HIL’s proprietary smart nano-target and unique laser-target interaction geometry lead to proton energies that are consistently 10-15 times above those achieved with other investigational methods for laser-based acceleration.

Management estimates that a first full-scale Beta system could be developed, built, tested and installed at a first paying customer within 5 years.

Additional Information:

• Company Presentation (http://goo.gl/zx27E)
• Article from Physical Review Letters (http://goo.gl/Q6CNO)

Contact details:

Shmuel Eisenmann, PhD

Founder, CEO
(+) 972-52-2602128
shmulike@hilappliedmedical.com

Sagi Brink-Danan, MSc, MBA

VP, Business Development
Israel: (+) 972-58-7811808

US: (+) 1-401-808-6706
sagibd@hilappliedmedical.com