Radiotherapy system receives CE mark extension

A proprietary radiotherapy system (IRay, Oraya Therapeutics) used to treat exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) now also may be used to treat choroidal metastases following a CE mark extension.

“While Oraya’s primary focus remains on treating wet AMD, we continue to identify and evaluate other uses of the technology that may benefit patients and clinicians,” Oraya CEO Jim Taylor said in a statement.

More in this issue: Visual function linked to preBCVA in AMD cataract patients

The system delivers radiation to the back of the eye via a robotically positioned low-energy X-ray source. According to Oraya, the 15- to 20-minute non-invasive procedure is an alternative to surgery and related multiple treatment sessions.

The proprietary radiotherapy system received CE certification for the treatment of exudative AMD in March 2010, and the company actively began commercializing it in 2014. The radiotherapy is now available at 11 treatment centers in Germany, the UK and Switzerland, and plans are under way that would enable it to be available at an additional 11 centers.

In December 2014, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG and Oraya entered into a collaboration through which Carl Zeiss Meditec will fund Oraya’s growth strategy, particularly its expansion in Europe, for up to 2 years. In the US the system is considered an investigational device and is not available for purchase.