Key Points
- A new clinical trial has begun in the UK investigating histotripsy for the treatment of primary kidney tumors.
- HistoSonics’ Edison platform uses histotripsy to noninvasively and mechanically destroy tissue.
- The trial is named after the late Charles Cain, PhD, co-inventor of histotripsy and co-founder of HistoSonics.
The first patient has been treated in a new clinical trial investigating the HistoSonics’ Edison platform for the treatment of kidney tumors.
Edison is a sonic beam therapy system that uses histotripsy to noninvasively and mechanically destroy tissue. The new Phase I trial will assess the safety and feasibility of using histotripsy to target primary solid renal tumors in 20 participants at multiple sites throughout the UK. It is named the CAIN trial after the late Charles Cain, PhD, former Chair of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan, co-inventor of histotripsy, and co-founder of HistoSonics, who passed away in March 2020.
The first procedure was performed in Leeds, UK, by Professor Tze Min Wah, Senior Consultant Radiologist and Clinical Lead for Interventional Oncology Program at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.
Professor Tze Min Wah commented in the release, “I was delighted to lead the clinical team in carrying out this world’s first kidney tumor treatment using histotripsy, and [it was] a real privilege to have the trust of the patient and their family in translating this innovative technology into our clinic. The CAIN Trial represents a significant milestone for treatment of solid renal tumors with histotripsy as a needle-less technology and is a paradigm shift from this point onward.”
The company also has an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) trial in the US to evaluate the safety and efficacy of histotripsy in destroying targeted kidney tissue, called the #HOPE4KIDNEY trial, which is expected to begin enrollment later this year.
“This first treatment is a significant milestone for the company as it represents expansion into our second active clinical application (after liver) and supports our mission to deliver histotripsy to patients who may potentially benefit from its unique capabilities,” said Mike Blue, President, and CEO of HistoSonics.
Read HistoSonics’ Press Release
This trial has garnered media coverage from Aunt Minnie and Mass Device.