Leading radiosurgery systems maker Accuray Incorporated (ARAY) has achieved an important milestone as patients treated with its CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery system have reportedly reached the 100,000 mark.
CyberKnife is a non-invasive alternative to traditional surgery and is the only commercially available intelligent robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat solid tumors anywhere in the body. Patients can be treated with CyberKnife without anesthesia and without the risks and complications inherent in traditional surgery.
The CyberKnife system combines continuous image-guidance technology with a compact linear accelerator that has the ability to move in three dimensions according to the treatment plan.
The CyberKnife procedure is well tolerated. Patients do not require substantial pre-treatment preparation, and typically there is little to no recovery time or hospital stay necessary for the CyberKnife procedure. All these features make CyberKnife a preferred choice for physicians.
CyberKnife systems continue to gain significant traction in the global medical community, thereby boosting Accuray’s sales. Demand for the system (especially for treating lung and prostate tumors) remains strong as evidenced by roughly 15% year-over-year growth in patients treated globally in fiscal 2010 (ended June 30). Extracranial applications (tumors in the lung, prostate, spine, liver and pancreas) accounted for more than 50% of CyberKnife treatments globally in fiscal 2010.
Accuray recently collaborated with Siemens (SI), under which, the latter acquired the rights to sell CyberKnife systems globally. Moreover, the company received Japanese regulatory clearance in August 2010 to market its CyberKnife G4 systems for non-invasive treatment of all tumor types.
California-based Accuray is a global leader in the field of radiosurgery and provides a non-surgical treatment option for patients diagnosed with cancer. In the radiation oncology market, the company competes head-to-head with Varian Medical (VAR) and TomoTherapy (TOMO).
Accuray has released conservative guidance for fiscal 2011 with a sizable sales deficit, which is expected to hinder revenue and profit growth for the year. Currently, we have a Neutral recommendation on the stock.
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