(Yicai Global) Nov. 10 -- US radiosurgery and radiation therapy system supplier Accuray is participating for the second time in the China International Import Expo held from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10, which “is really an opportunity for us to bring new products, new technology to China to benefit cancer patients,” Roger Cao, president of Accuray Asia and its CNNC Accuray joint venture, told Yicai Global.

“[T]his is why we decided to expand our booth space and bring in other new products,” he added.

CNNC Accuray has brought its new-generation Radixact System to the venue. It is the upgraded TomoTherapy system that provides smarter and more efficient and personalized treatment to patients with various cancers.

“It is the first time for the Radixact [to be] shown at the CIIE. While Radixact got approval from the CFDA recently, it entered the US and European market about three years ago,” Cao noted.

Accuray’s products on show this year, including the Radixact, radiological surgery robot system CyberKnife M6 and the Radiotherapy equipment intelligent service platform, are popular, Cao stated. The firm had already signed deals with Shanghai Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Huashan Hospital and China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University on Nov. 5 when the expo had just started.

Roadblocks to Recovery

Difficulties such as inaccessibility of machines and shortages of trained physicists hinder many patients with tumors from getting treatment, Cao noted. Accuray tries to fill some of these gaps, he said.

Priced between CNY40 million (USD6 million) and CNY50 million, a radiation therapy device is very expensive, Cao conceded.“ So we set up a joint venture in Tianjin. With some local suppliers, we were able to drive the cost 30 percent lower for the machine. It's probably that even more can be saved for the future product.”

Equipment exported from overseas also enjoys tax breaks as China's finance ministry has brought in preferential rates for exhibitors at the CIIE, which further drives down costs.

China probably needs about 20,000 physicists operating professional equipment in the current terrain, Cao said. Accuray has already set up a training center, but it only has 20 seats now available.

The joint venture between Accuray and wholly-owned China National Nuclear Corporation unit CNNC High Energy Equipment Tianjin was formed two years ago and started operating in July last year. The JV supports all manufacturing, sales, marketing and after sales service functions of the two sides.

Editor: Ben Armour, Xiao Yi