Accuray to Acquire Imaging Software Developer Morphormics

(Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a radiation oncology company, has signed an agreement to acquire Morphormics, Inc. (Durham, NC, USA), a privately held company founded by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA) faculty members based on their studies in autosegmentation of medical images.

Morphormics develops medical imaging software systems that automatically recognize and extract anatomic structures from medical images. The agreement provides that Accuray will pay approximately USD 5.7 million. In 2008, Accuray began licensing Morphormics’ autocontouring technology, which automatically identifies and draws the boundaries of the prostate and surrounding critical structures. This enables the treatment planning software to center on the radiation dose on the prostate and minimize the delivery of radiation to neighboring critical structures. With the acquisition of Morphormics, Accuray plans to extend autocontouring capabilities for both the CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery system and the TomoTherapy system to improve disease specific workflows.

“Since our licensing agreement with Morphormics began, we have seen firsthand the benefits the company’s technology provides clinicians in improving efficiency, especially in the treatment of prostate cancer, and its potential to improve patient outcomes,” said Euan S. Thomson, PhD, Accuray president and chief executive officer. “The acquisition of Morphormics will expand Accuray’s IP [intellectual property] portfolio, reduce our licensing expenses, and strengthen our engineering team with top talent from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This strategic acquisition is another important step toward providing leading-edge treatment solutions personalized for each cancer patient.”

“This is an exciting opportunity for our company that will bring the benefits of our technology to more patients,” said Edward Chaney, PhD, cofounder of Morphormics and professor of radiation oncology and biomedical engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Accuray’s acquisition confirms the value our technology offers in its ability to dramatically increase efficiency and accuracy in the delivery of image-guided medical treatment. We look forward to joining the Accuray team and further advancing innovation in this area.”

Accuray’s technologies--the CyberKnife and TomoTherapy systems--are designed to provide radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy, and adaptive radiation therapy.

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Accuray
Morphormics
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill