Since receiving medical device approval for its neutron radiation system in June 2023, Heron Neutron Medicallaunched an academic clinical trial for recurrent meningioma on November 10 of the same year. The company further partnered with Taipei Veterans General Hospital (Taipei VGH) in December to initiate compassionate treatment, providing new therapeutic options for patients in critical condition or those with no other viable treatment alternatives.
To date, the treatment has been administered to 13 patients (18 treatment sessions in total). The scope of compassionate treatment indications has expanded beyond head and neck cancers and brain tumors, which were the primary focus of BNCT’s therapeutic advantages, to now include lesions in the thoracic cavity, lumbar spine, and inguinal regions. These include diffuse midline glioma (DMG, formerly known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, DIPG), recurrent triple-negative breast cancer, recurrent lung cancer, mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, recurrent osteosarcoma, recurrent malignant sarcoma, recurrent chordoma, and recurrent melanoma.
While advancing BNCT clinical research, Heron Neutron Medical and Taipei VGH are also committed to social responsibility, leveraging Taiwan’s domestically developed innovative technology to improve quality of life and extend survival for late-stage cancer patients. As a pioneer in BNCT clinical development in Taiwan, Taipei VGH is collaborating closely with Heron Neutron Medical to establish a world-class BNCT treatment center, positioning Taiwan at the forefront of global medical innovation and creating a hub for international medical technology research and exchange.
Dr. Wu Yuan-Hong, attending physician at the Department of Heavy Particle and Radiation Oncology at Taipei VGH, explained that BNCT combines targeted drug therapy with a specialized radiation technique. Due to its binary targeting mechanism, BNCT achieves a higher tumor-to-normal tissue dose ratio, effectively destroying cancer cells. Regarding refractory cancers, particularly pediatric DMG, which Taipei VGH has been researching since 2016, the availability of Taiwan’s domestically developed BNCT system now allows the compassionate treatment program to benefit patients, offering new hope for rare cancer treatments.
Dr. Wang, Ling-Wei, Director of the Department of Heavy Particle and Radiation Oncology at Taipei VGH, noted that Taipei VGH’s radiation oncology team began collaborating with National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in 2010to conduct a clinical trial for recurrent head and neck cancer. The trial targeted patients with unresectable tumors that had failed photon radiotherapy, and the results demonstrated BNCT’s powerful anti-cancer effects. Based on prior compassionate treatment experience at NTHU and international studies, BNCT has also shown potential tumor suppression effects for radiation-resistant melanoma. The team looks forward to the continued development of accelerator-based BNCT (AB-BNCT) technology and accelerating research into its full potential, hoping to benefit more patients in need.
The development of BNCT technology in Taiwan began in 1992 when NTHU initiated research efforts. In August 2010, Taipei VGH joined the initiative, conducting clinical trials for recurrent head and neck cancers using NTHU’s nuclear reactor. To transition BNCT into a hospital-deployable treatment modality, Hermes-Epitek Corporationacquired Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and NTHU’s accelerator-based BNCT research in 2017, establishing Heron Neutron Medical and constructing Taiwan’s first AB-BNCT treatment system in Zhubei. This platform is set to significantly accelerate BNCT development, strengthen Taiwan’s global competitiveness in large-scale radiotherapy equipment, and bring innovative treatment options to cancer patients, aiming to extend both lifespan and quality of life.
Resource: 禾榮科技攜臺北榮總 合作探索BNCT治療難治型癌症新機會
