Innovation

In the United States, 60% of cancer patients are treated with radiation. Since its creation in the 1950’s, X-Ray therapy has proved to be an effective cancer treatment. By charging electrons to build their energy and speed, they are able to travel at very high rates (up to 9/10 the speed of light), and when aimed at a specific location, they can reach a tumor within a human body. Once at the site, the X-Ray would break the DNA strands of the tumor tissue in an effort to stop the destructive cells from replicating.

Despite the benefits in combating tumors, X-Ray therapy has a fair amount of collateral damage to healthy cells, as these rays do not discriminate between healthy and tumor tissue. X-Ray radiation starts from the mechanism source and passes through healthy tissue while traveling to the target site, through the tumor, and exits through additional healthy tissue.

An alternate method for combating cancerous tissue is proton therapy. Unlike X-Ray, proton therapy uses protons to pass through healthy tissue enroute to the tumor and stops once the target is reached. Since there is an abrupt stop of proton activity at the tumor site, there is less collateral damage to healthy tissue. Essentially, protons stop well in a defined way. Therefore, if a tumor is next to a critical structure like the heart or lungs, doctors can be sure that the protons will stop and not impact that structure.

There are two main advantages of proton therapy over X-Ray therapy. The first is that proton therapy provides a uniform dose of radiation across the span of a specified tumor. This outcome is always most desired by clinicians in order to successfully combat the destructive tissue. The second advantage is that that there is a sharp fall-off of radiation once the protons reach the intended target. That is, the risk of damage to healthy tissue is minimized when undergoing treatment. For example, if 100 radiation units are needed to treat a tumor, a patient could receive up to 150 radiation units with Proton therapy (50 while inbound though healthy tissue and an additional 100 for the actual tumor site). Whereas the same patient would receive upwards of 200 units of radiation with X-Ray treatment (100 units while inbound and outbound through healthy tissue and 100 units for actual tumor). This additional radiation increases risk of adverse side effects immediately during treatment and even years after treatment has ceased.

Since one proton weighs 1,800 times more than one electron, it does not travel as fast when applied with the same force. Therefore, an accelerator is needed to enable protons to travel at the same rate and depth to reach the specified targets that electrons do. An acceleration of protons means that it needs to run in fast, tight circles. Essentially, the smaller the circles protons orbit, the quicker they can accelerate and travel to their intended target (tumor). Accelerators were developed to increase the rate of these proton orbits through the use of magnets, which acted as a way to charge the protons thus providing faster, tighter orbits. This technology was a scientific breakthrough that provided safer and precise cancer treatment. Though this form of accelerators was highly effective, it was also extremely expensive with facilities costing upwards of $200 million to build. Additionally, the accelerator technology was big and very complex with restrictive access.

The founders of the company knew that a need existed commercially for a more compact version of this magnet so the design of this machine became their vision and sole focus. The answer to increased efficiency of proton acceleration was in a super conducting magnet created by Mevion’s founders. Their solution was their innovation of the MEVION S250 Series™, which is an updated form of proton radiation therapy that uses their super conducting magnet to more compactly accelerate the protons used in therapy. It is used in the accelerator to charge the protons in proton therapy at rapid speed in a much more compact form. This magnet is currently the world’s highest magnetic field for commercial use and is extremely powerful, compact, and more cost effective. Since the S250 was its flagship product, it was through this innovation that Mevion was born as a company.

Inspiration

When Mevion was developing as an organization, proton therapy existed almost exclusively at large accelerator centers that were used for research and treatment purposes. The capability did not yet exist to have these accelerators in mainstream medical arenas like hospitals. The founders of what would eventually become Mevion asked questions about the potential value of proton therapy and how it could be made to be more practical and accessible in the treatment of cancer. Through this line of thought, the founders had two major realizations:

1. Not nearly as many protons were needed to treat tumors as were needed for large accelerator research centers. CEO Joe Jachinowski provided this analogy: “It would be like watering a tomato plant with a fire hose. The dose would just be too overwhelming and is unnecessary.”
2. In reducing the overall size and capacity of the technology, they could sell the therapy to a much wider audience, thereby increasing accessibility to more clinics and ultimately more patients. The current magnitude of the technology was not necessary and it was clear that there was a commercial need for an updated, more compact version of accelerator technology.

Overall impact

The innovation of the MEVION S250 Series increases efficiency in the acceleration of protons for the use of proton therapy. This enables continued efficiencies in compact design and cost, therefore expanding the distribution and access of powerful, precise cancer treatment. It is used like most other medical equipment including leading tertiary (where patients are referred to after primary and secondary care professionals have evaluated them) and teaching hospitals (medical centers that provide clinical education to future medical professionals) like hospitals associated with universities.

The MEVION S250 Series has been installed in several hospitals across the U.S., including University Hospitals in Cleveland, MGH Boston Mass Hospital, St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, and University of Washington in Seattle.

Relative to the old technology of X-Ray radiation treatment, proton therapy carries a much lower cost. X-Ray equipment could cost hospitals upwards of $125 million dollars per system compared to the S250 Series of $30 million per system. Like most other medical equipment, it is used in leading tertiary and teaching hospitals.

This technology can treat cancers that were untreatable prior to its invention. That's because it can reach sites that were formerly inoperable. In sum, the S250 Series leads to wider treatment options and better, more reliable outcomes for patients on a much smaller dose of radiation.

Business benefit

The powerful innovation of the super conducting magnet found in Mevion’s flagship product, the S250 Series, is very compact, cost effective, and energy efficient. Its compact size enables it to be mass produced and distributed more readily than prior machines that were only available at proton centers. This decrease in machinery also makes the S250 Series more cost effective, charging the protons in a more efficient way through the use of less energy. All three of these major elements lead to a much greater ability to sell to clinics on commercial level increasing their overall customer volume and scale. Mevion therefore benefits through sale of more outlets like hospitals and cancer clinics than were available prior to this technology. A total of 20 units have been sold and since the capability of proton therapy in commercial hospitals did not exist prior to this innovation, all sales have been to hospitals that who did not previously own any proton technology like it. Mevion’s responsibility for this innovation and design has earned them the reputation of being a pioneer in the world of cutting edge medical technologies.

Social and environmental benefit

The MEVION S250 Series is an excellent example of the third UN Goal of ‘Good Health and Well-Being” specifically with regards to ‘reducing by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment”. The S250 Series aids in more accurate and precise cancer treatment to patients which helps them heal faster and decreases their risk of premature mortality from cancer itself. Secondly, the S250 Series also helps patients to have a dramatically reduced risk of long term complications from radiation exposure since it is minimized throughout the treatment process. This element also greatly contributes to a reduction of premature mortality of patients who may have received cancer treatment in the past.

There are two major ways that the MEVION S250 Series benefits society. The first is greater patient access to cancer treatment. Since the MEVION S250 Series has enabled commercial use through hospitals and cancer clinics, the total volume of patients that now have access to this powerful and effective technology is significant. The second major benefit to society relates to the fact that the S250 Series lessens the collateral damage to healthy cells when undergoing treatment, further reducing health risks commonly associated with radiation treatment. The precision of the proton radiation dose found in the compact S250 Series further minimizes the patient’s exposure to radiation including the exposure to critical organs. By minimizing this radiation exposure, patients experience fewer side effects while receiving treatment and thus are less likely to experience complications from radiation later in life. In particular, any patient under the age of 50 is at risk of experiencing radiation side effects long after treatment has ceased since some effects can take up to 10 – 20 years to develop are most likely to benefit. For example, a woman with breast cancer is at a great risk for congestive heart failure 5-10 years after treatment with X-ray due to additional exposure near the heart. However, treated with the S250 Series, that risk is reduced by 95%. The S250 Series offers patients greater accessibility to a powerful cancer fighting agent while minimizing the health risks associated with treatment which has a great impact on the individuals close to the patient as well. This helps patients to have a greater quality of life long term.

CEO Joe Jachinowski said, “At the end of the day, it takes a lot of hard work since this is a competitive field but I tell my teams that you can’t forget the fact that we impact thousands of lives and will continue to do so. It’s not just about the patient. It’s their families, friends, children.”

Interview

Joe Jachinowski, Chief Executive Officer