Gunze Limited has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Gunze Medical Limited and US-based HistoSonics, Inc. have entered into an agreement to exclusively distribute a noninvasive platform and proprietary sonic beam therapy utilising the histotripsy technology.
Under this agreement, Gunze Medical will assume exclusive distribution responsibility in Japan for non-invasive ultrasound therapy devices equipped with Histotripsy technology developed by HistoSonics.
Moving forward, the company will work to obtain manufacturing and marketing approval and insurance coverage in Japan, while also establishing a support and training system in collaboration with medical institutions. This will contribute to reducing the physical burden on patients through more accurate treatment and improving efficiency and quality in medical settings.
This medical device uses histotripsy technology, the world's first noninvasive treatment method that utilises microbubbles generated by ultrasound. Histotripsy is a novel technology that uses ultrasound energy to physically disrupt cancerous tissue without the need for surgical intervention. Focusing ultrasound at a single point creates a cluster of microbubbles called a "bubble cloud" within water-rich tissue. The rapid expansion and collapse of this bubble cloud precisely and selectively destroys and liquefies cancerous tissue. The destroyed cells are then excreted from the body as waste. A major advantage is the minimal damage to surrounding blood vessels and healthy tissue.
In the US, histotripsy is currently approved to treat liver tumours, including hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic liver cancer. However, it is expected to be used in the future to treat a wide range of diseases, including kidney and pancreatic cancers and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
