February 7, 2008

SUNNYBROOK RECEIVES $22.9 MILLION FOR RESEARCH THAT WILL SAVE LIVES

Today’s announcement represents the second round of funding under the Ontario Research Fund’s Research Excellence program. In this round, the government is providing $22.9 million to support two world-class projects at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Funding will be matched by 11 industry and other partners participating in the projects.

Improving Non-invasive Surgical Procedures To Treat Cancer Patients

Focused Ultrasound Devices for Noninvasive Surgery and Drug Delivery

Developing and commercializing promising focused ultrasound devices

Lead researcher: Dr. Kullervo Hynynen
Total project cost: $25,268,480
Provincial funding: $8,422,827

Focused ultrasound surgery has a massive potential to be a leading non-invasive therapy for a wide range of medical conditions from soft tissue tumours to neurological disorders.

Researchers at Sunnybrook Hospital are working with private sector partners to explore the use of focused ultrasound surgery as a leading non-invasive therapy for a wide range of medical conditions, from soft tissue tumours to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Focused ultrasound energy uses high energy waves in therapeutic and surgical applications. For example, it can be used to direct intense heat at cancer cells to kill them.  Because the treatment is precise and non-invasive, both the recovery time for the patient and surgical costs are reduced.  Additional benefits include improved patient safety, fewer side effects and shorter hospitals stays. The initial research will investigate whether prostate cancer tumours could be treated more quickly than with present practices.  Other types of cancer tumours such as breast, throat and rectal cancer will also be subjects in the later stages of their research. 

Key private sector partners:
Energid Technologies Corporation, Philips Medical Systems, UltraDiagnostics Inc

Key Facts:

• Worldwide therapeutic ultrasound revenues are expected to exceed $2 billion by 2011.
•  The research team will work to enhance focused ultrasound therapy and to open new clinical opportunities for this technology.
• This research will lead to significant benefits by either reducing the costs of devices and treatments, or by enabling the development and delivery of new treatments.
• This project will help position Ontario as a leader in the development and distribution of focused ultrasound technology systems around the world.
• Dr. Hynynen, the principal investigator will establish a team of nine researchers and 25 additional junior and support personnel.

Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence Program

This second round of funding under the Research Excellence program will invest  $114,709,614 to support 19 world-class projects at nine Ontario universities, institutes and hospitals. Funding will be matched by 107 major industry and other partners participating in the projects.

For more information about the Ontario Research Fund, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation.

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