Focused Ultrasound Therapy Reaches Global Milestone of 1 Million Patients
- tech360.tv
- Oct 9
- 3 min read
Focused ultrasound (FUS) therapy, backed by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, has reached an "inflection point" with 1 million patients adopting it worldwide. This sound wave treatment offers a non-invasive alternative to surgery, radiation, drugs, and other therapies for a variety of ailments, including cancer.
Dr. Neal Kassell, chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and former co-chair of neurology at the University of Virginia, has been a key proponent and leader in the field, with the doctor who pioneered its use stating the therapy reached an 'inflection point'. According to data compiled by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, 1 million patients have undergone FUS therapy since its introduction six decades ago, with approximately 175,000 cases involving liver tumours.
“In the past two years, we finally achieved a critical mass and reached the inflection point of this adoption phase,” Dr. Kassell said. He added, “FUS treatment improves medical outcomes, decreases cost of care, and improves patient access [by] doing more with less.”
The technology’s application has expanded significantly, with the number of diseases being treated or under research increasing from three to more than 200 over the past decade. The number of companies manufacturing FUS devices has surged from five to 77, including 34 in North America, 22 in Asia, and 16 in Europe.
This trend benefits companies such as HistoSonics, based in Minnesota, which produces FUS devices for liver tumours. In August, HistoSonics sold a 70% stake to a group of investors, including the Bezos Expedition and Wellington Management, valuing the start-up at USD 2.25 billion.
Dr. Kassell predicted, “By next year, I expect one or more ‘north star’ companies – those that have over USD 100 million in annual revenues and are profitable – to emerge.” He believes these companies “will be ready to either go public or be sold to major strategic investors like multinational medical device makers.”
Israel’s Insightec became the first FUS device maker to achieve unicorn status in 2020, reaching a valuation of USD 1.3 billion after a fundraising round. The foundation reported in July that FUS technology is available in 1,328 medical centres and hospitals globally.
Of these facilities, 34% are in China and 22% are in the U.S. Out of 318 global research and development centres in this field, 90 are American, and 59 are Chinese, indicating a strong U.S. presence in FUS research.
Last year, more than 150,000 FUS treatments were conducted worldwide. Nearly 70,000 of these were for cancer, specifically 41% for liver tumours, 41% for pancreatic tumours, and 11% for prostate cancer.
A promising low-power, pulsed FUS application is currently undergoing clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Kassell confirmed. This treatment uses ultrasound to produce mild mechanical forces, temporarily opening the blood-brain barrier to enhance drug delivery to the brain.
HistoSonics’ device distinguishes itself from conventional high-intensity focused ultrasound, which generates heat to ablate tissues. Instead, HistoSonics creates short, powerful pulses to destroy liver cancer cells by forming and collapsing microbubbles.
Li Ka-shing has championed the technology in Hong Kong. Over the past year, the tycoon purchased and donated numerous HistoSonics machines to hospitals in Hong Kong and Singapore to support its implementation and further research.
Focused ultrasound (FUS) therapy has been adopted by 1 million patients worldwide, reaching a significant "inflection point."
The technology, backed by Li Ka-shing, offers a non-invasive alternative for treating over 200 diseases, including various cancers.
The number of FUS device companies has grown to 77, with HistoSonics and Insightec achieving unicorn valuations of USD 2.25 billion and USD 1.3 billion, respectively.
Source: SCMP
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