ViewRay Teams With Japanese Firm to Distribute MRI-Guided Therapy System

ViewRay Inc. has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with a Japanese general trading company to sell its MRI-guided radiation therapy system in that country.

ITOCHU Corporation will begin selling ViewRay’s MRIdian system, a device that images and treats cancer patients simultaneously, according to a news release announcing the distribution partnership. ITOCHU is one the three largest general trading companies in Japan, with a global presence in a wide array of industries including healthcare, machinery, textile, food, energy and information technology.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with ITOCHU,” said Chris A. Raanes, president/CEO of ViewRay. “ITOCHU has a history of over 150 years in Japan, the second largest single-country market for radiation therapy systems in the world. Through our partnership with ITOCHU, we look forward to making the benefits of our breakthrough technology widely available to Japanese physicians and patients over the next few years.”

The MRIdian system is designed to improve the accuracy of cancer treatments through a patented combination of simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiation therapy delivery. With continuous soft-tissue imaging, clinicians can more clearly see the cancer target, monitor where the actual radiation dose is being delivered, and adapt to changes in the patient’s anatomy – all in real time, providing a more precise and personalized cancer treatment option, ViewRay executives claim. 

“We are very pleased and excited to partner with ViewRay,” said Koichi Kato, general manager of ITOCHU Corporation, Healthcare Business Department. “With a large aging population, the number of patients suffering from cancer is increasing every year. We strongly believe ViewRay’s MRIdian system can support every effort of physicians and patients to fight against cancer with its MRI-guided radiation therapy technology.”

Based in Cleveland, Ohio, ViewRay develops advanced radiation therapy technology for cancer treatment. The privately-held company was founded in 2004.