FLASHDEEP™

Shifting the paradigm of radiotherapy

THERYQ is developing FLASHDEEP™, a next generation FLASH radiotherapy device designed to use Very High Energy Electron (VHEE) beams to treat cancers that resist conventional treatments.

This technology represents a significant step forward in radiotherapy, with the potential to improve patient outcomes in the years to come. Preliminary findings have shown that by increasing dose rates and reducing irradiation to much just a few milliseconds, FLASH radiotherapy can reduce side effects while maintaining the same level of tumor control as conventional radiotherapy1;2;3.

Beyond the limits of lower energy electrons

FLASHDEEP is built around a compact linear accelerator delivering Very High Energy Electron (VHEE) beams of 100 to 200 MeV, 10 to 20 times more powerful than those of FLASHKNiFE (research device only). This increased energy enables treatment approaches targeting deeper tissues, potentially addressing a wider range of indications up to a depth of around 20 cm4;5;6.

At such high energy levels, achieving the ultra-high dose rates required to trigger the FLASH effect in less than 100 milliseconds is a major technological challenge. FLASHDEEP is designed to meet this challenge while remaining compact enough to fit within the typical infrastructure of a hospital campus4;5;6.

THERYQ FlashDeep global view

Key advantages of VHEE-FLASH technology

  • VHEE beams deliver increased depth penetration with sharp beam edges compared to low energy electron beams, enabling precise targeting of deep tumors.
  • The underlying linear accelerator technology is significantly more compact and cost-effective compared to current proton therapy facilities.
  • The combination of VHEE and FLASH opens the door to treating deep-seated tumors that are difficult to address with existing modalities.

Expected Performances

Gustave Roussy & THERYQ Selected as Part of the “i-Démo” France 2030 Call For Projects

THERYQ, a French company specializing in the development of FLASH radiotherapy systems, and Gustave Roussy, the leading French and European center for cancer research, ranked 4th worldwide, have been selected as part of the “i-Démo” / France 2030 call for projects for the “FLASHDEEP” project, with a budget of 38 million euros.

Thanks to the funding provided by Bpifrance as part of France 2030, THERYQ and Gustave Roussy will bring together biologists, physicists, and physicians to conduct the necessary preclinical and clinical studies to demonstrate the improved tolerance and efficacy of FLASHDEEP compared to conventional radiotherapy. They will also submit the CE marking application so that French and European patients in need can benefit from this new therapeutic option as quickly as possible.

In parallel, THERYQ plans to build and equip its industrial platform to enable the launch of the first machines, followed by mass production of FLASHDEEP devices and the start of their commercialization in Europe. This industrial deployment project also represents a great economic opportunity for France, with the creation of more than 600 direct and indirect jobs in the country. Ultimately, it will lead to the revival of a French radiotherapy industrial sector, a field that has been neglected since the late 1980s.

FLASHDEEP is not commercially available and has not been cleared for sale. This device is intended exclusively for display or demonstration purposes and may not be made available as medical device until it has been brought into conformity with the relevant regulations.

References

1. Favaudon, V., Caplier, L., Monceau, V., Pouzoulet, F., Sayarath, M., Fouillade, C., Poupon, M., Brito, I., Hupé, P., Bourhis, J., Hall, J., Fontaine, J., & Vozenin, M. Ultrahigh dose-rate FLASH irradiation increases the differential response between normal and tumor tissue in mice. Science Translational Medicine, 6(245) (2014). https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.3008973
2. Vozenin, M., Hendry, J., & Limoli, C. Biological benefits of ultra-high dose rate FLASH radiotherapy: Sleeping Beauty awoken. Clinical Oncology, 31(7), 407–415 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clon.2019.04.001
3. Bourhis, J., Sozzi, W. J., Jorge, P. G., Gaide, O., Bailat, C., Duclos, F., Patin, D., Ozsahin, M., Bochud, F., Germond, J., Moeckli, R., & Vozenin, M. Treatment of a first patient with FLASH-radiotherapy. Radiotherapy and Oncology, 139, 18–22 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2019.06.019
4. Schüler, E., Acharya, M., Montay‐Gruel, P., Loo, B. W., Vozenin, M., & Maxim, P. G. Ultra‐high dose rate electron beams and the FLASH effect: From preclinical evidence to a new radiotherapy paradigm. Medical Physics, 49(3), 2082–2095 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.15442
5. Böhlen, T.T.; Germond, J.-F.; Traneus, E.; Bourhis, J.; Vozenin, M.-C.; Bailat, C.; Bochud, F. & Moeckli, R., Characteristics of very high-energy electron beams for the irradiation of deep-seated targets. Med. Phys., 48: 3958-3967 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.14891
6. Fischer, J., Whitmore, L., Desrosiers, C. et al. Very high-energy electrons as radiotherapy opportunity. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 139, 728 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05455-x