Zacks_Analysts' Blog : Tuebingen UMS Deploys BSD's System - Analyst Blog

Cancer treatment systems maker BSD Medical (BSDM) said that Germany-based Tuebingen University Medical School (“Tuebingen UMS”) has purchased and installed its BSD-2000/3D/MR hyperthermia system.

The device was purchased, in June 2011, by the company’s European distributor Dr. Sennewald Medizintechnik GmbH and was subsequently sold to Tuebingen UMS, a global leader in oncology and immunology.

Hyperthermia therapy treats tumors by applying heat. It has shown the ability to boost the effectiveness of radiation for many tumors.

The BSD-2000 hyperthermia system, patented by BSD Medical, provides local therapeutic heating by administering radiofrequency energy. It provides dynamic control over the heat applied to the tumor. The BSD-2000 has European CE Mark approval and is currently limited to investigational use in the U.S. BSD Medical has applied for a Humanitarian Device Exemption (“HDE”) approval for the system, which is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).

The BSD-2000/3D/MR essentially integrates BSD Medical’s sophisticated regional hyperthermia therapy system with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (“MRI”). The company developed the system in collaboration with Siemens Healthcare AG, a subsidiary of Siemens AG (SI).

The BSD-2000/3D/MR ushers in a revolutionary new application of MRI. It expands the use of MRI from legacy diagnostic imaging to real-time imaging and monitoring of cancer treatments. During hyperthermia therapy, the magnetic resonance images are color graded to show changes in temperature in the treatment area.  

The BSD-2000/3D/MR system, installed by Tuebingen UMS, is the fifth BSD-2000 system with integrated MRI capability that has been purchased by prominent cancer treatment centers in Germany. Tuebingen UMS has been using a BSD-2000/3D hyperthermia system for superficial and deep seated tumors. The entity will use the BSD-2000/3D/MR for treating pelvic and abdominal tumors, thereby adding additional treatment capacity. 

BSD Medical provides hyperthermia and ablation therapy systems to treat cancer and benign diseases. It competes with established players like Boston Scientific (BSX) and Angiodynamics (ANGO) in the thermal ablation market.