The Opportunity and the Problem
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world and represents more than 5% of all cancers. Approximately 600 000 cases of HCC are diagnosed each year and it is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
In addition, The liver is second only to the lymph nodes as the most common site for metastases from cancers arising in other sites in the body. Each year worldwide approximately 500 000 people die from colorectal cancer and 950,000 new cases are diagnosed. Approximately 60% of patients will develop metastatic disease, which is localized to the liver alone in half of them.
Therefore are more than 900,000 new cases of liver cancer worldwide every year.
Currently, there is no non invasive solution for liver treatment.
Current Solutions
Surgical resection is the only potentially curative approach for patients with primary and metastatic liver tumors. Unfortunately, most patients (80-90%) with hepatic malignancy are precluded from resection due to multifocal disease, anatomic limitations, inadequate functional liver reserve, extrahepatic metastases, or medical comorbidities. Consequently, several methods of tumor ablation have been developed as alternate treatment strategies.
Patients with localized, unresectable hepatic metastases may be candidates for cryosurgery, laser, microwave ablation (MWA), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), hepatic arterial ligation, and embolization. From those strategies, radio frequency ablation (RFA) is the most widely used.
LiveSonics' solution
Livesonics revolutionary solution is a based on a low cost totally non invasive high intensity focused ultrasound using a proprietary combination of ultrasound frequencies and waveforms that enables the ultrasonic beam to penetrate through the ribs without heating it, and with enough energy to create thermal damage to the tumor.
Livesonics product is an integrated imaging and therapeutic device enabling the physician to target the tumor by ultrasound imaging and then radiate it by therapeutic ultrasound while maintaining real time control on the process.
Key Benefits
- Totally non invasive
- Ability to treat beyond the ribs
- Safe
- No side effects
- No limitation on size and shape of the tumor
- Eligible for all patients
The Market
Since there are 900,000 new cases every year the treatment market is $US 1.1 Billion annually.
Competition
All existing solutions using HIFU are unsatisfactory from various aspects (commercial/user/patient). Therefore, although RFA offers only a partial solution and provides very limited results, it is currently still the most widely used treatment for primary and metastatic hepatic tumors if surgery is not an option.
Igal Ilouz, PhD. - CEO
Yoram Eshel, Ph.D., MBA - Chirman of the board of directors
Prof. Dan Adam, D.Sc. - Member of the board of directors, Founder and
Judith Zilberstein, Ph.D. - Member of the board of directors
Benjamin P. Sabbah - Founder and Technological & business Adviser
Zvi Friedman Ph.D - Founder and Technological & business Adviser
Company Status
LiveSonics Ltd. was founded in 2008 within the technological incubator of Maayan Ventures.The breakthrough in technology was obtained. Ex vivo proof of concept was achieved. The ability to create localized heat increase behind bone without heating it was demonstrated.
Requirement
Strategic partner.
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