ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- HistoSonics, Inc. (http://www.histosonics.com) (the “Company”) announced today that noted radiologist and tumor ablation expert Fred Lee, Jr., MD, has joined the Company as Senior Medical Advisor and Board member to advance HistoSonics’ innovative tissue-destruction technology in liver cancer and other solid tumor applications.
Dr. Lee brings a wealth of experience in tumor ablation and early-stage company development. He was a Founder and Board member of NeuWave Medical, a successful venture-backed medical device company with market-leading microwave ablation technology that was recently acquired by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon. Dr. Lee serves as Professor of Radiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Urology; Robert Turrell Professor of Medical Imaging; and Chief, Abdominal Intervention at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He is a leading expert in the field of tumor ablation, having published on all aspects of thermal ablation products and techniques.
HistoSonics’ technology, known as histotripsy, offers a non-invasive, non-thermal approach to solid tumor ablation using pulsed sound energy for the precise destruction of targeted tissues. “This is where things are heading, and I’m really excited to be a part of it,” Dr. Lee said. “Clinicians, patients and payers are eager for an ideal ablation modality that is non-invasive, is highly effective at killing targeted tumors, and causes minimal collateral damage. With what we know about histotripsy today, this modality has the potential to offer these attributes and more.”
HistoSonics CEO Christine Gibbons said, “We are thrilled that Dr. Lee has joined the team. He brings a combination of clinical and start-up experience that is a perfect fit as we address liver cancer and other high-value clinical applications. We appreciate the tremendous contributions Dr. Lee has made from the very first day with our team, and we look forward to working closely with him to provide the non-invasive solutions that clinicians, patients, and payers want.”
HistoSonics’ primary focus is the destruction of liver tumors. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 700,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with liver cancer each year, and the disease accounts for more than 600,000 deaths annually. While surgical resection remains the gold standard treatment, approximately 80% of patients are not candidates for resection, highlighting a significant unmet clinical need for this patient population.
About HistoSonics
HistoSonics’ unique histotripsy platform technology, originally invented and exclusively licensed from the University of Michigan, uses the mechanical (not thermal) properties of focused ultrasound to precisely destroy targeted tissues without damaging surrounding tissue or structures. Histotripsy is non-invasive, pulsed-sound energy applied from outside of the body to destroy solid tumors, soft tissue, clots and plaque at the cellular level. HistoSonics’ novel technology has the potential to replace or augment conventional surgery and minimally invasive image-guided treatment modalities, with the goal of reducing patient trauma and healthcare costs.
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SOURCE HistoSonics, Inc.
