LITTLETON, Mass., October 14, 2015 – Mevion Medical Systems today announced that Ackerman Cancer Center (ACC) in Jacksonville, Fla., will install a second MEVION S250 Series proton therapy system. ACC began treating cancer patients with its first MEVION S250 system in April, and is already treating enough patients to warrant the installation of a second system. ACC achieved the fastest per-room ramp-up in the history of proton therapy, reaching an annualized rate of 350 patients per year, more than 25 percent better than the average U.S. proton therapy center.

“The MEVION S250 proton therapy system has been an extremely valuable addition to our cancer center and an important treatment option for our patients, particularly those with tumors in sensitive areas such as the brain or spinal cord,” said Scot Ackerman, MD, radiation oncologist and medical director of Ackerman Cancer Center. “We are thrilled to begin installing a second Mevion system and to be among the first centers to receive HYPERSCAN pencil beam scanning technology. Tumor motion and substandard penumbra have limited the use of pencil beam scanning delivery, but with HYPERSCAN, these limitations are simply eliminated.”

The second ACC system is a MEVION S250i with HYPERSCAN pencil beam scanning technology, which delivers high-quality Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) treatments with precision and robustness. Mevion’s HYPERSCAN technology operates at unmatched speeds -- volumetrically scanning tumors in less than six seconds -- eliminating many of the challenges caused by patient motion that traditional pencil beam scanning solutions encounter. Its tumor targeting capability is further enhanced by its extremely low lateral penumbra.

ACC is the world’s first private, physician-owned cancer center to offer proton therapy, an advanced form of radiation therapy that targets cancer cells more precisely than traditional photon radiation treatment and results in less damage to surrounding healthy tissue and organs. The center has treated patients with a variety of cancers, including brain, breast, esophogeal and lung.

“We are pleased to help ACC further evolve its proton therapy program and make this important treatment modality even more accessible to cancer patients,” said Joseph K. Jachinowski, president and CEO of Mevion Medical Systems. “This is an example of how Mevion reduces financial and operational risk to cancer centers by offering the flexibility to use a phased approach when installing multiple proton therapy units. The MEVION S250i with HYPERSCAN technology is anywhere from 10 to 50 times faster than any competing system. The result is a robust volumetric IMPT treatment delivered at hyper-speed and with better lateral penumbra and invariant beam characteristics, thus overcoming pencil beam scanning clinical uncertainties.”

The construction of ACC’s second proton therapy bunker will take place in 2016. The superconducting synchrocyclotron accelerator, a core component of the proton therapy system, will be delivered to the center in late 2016. The system is expected to begin treating patients in 2017.

About Mevion Medical Systems

Mevion Medical Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of proton therapy systems for use in radiation treatment for cancer patients. The MEVION S250 Series is elegantly designed to deliver high-powered, efficient proton therapy treatments. Built upon the world’s only gantry-mounted proton accelerator and benefitting from Mevion’s patented direct beam technology, the MEVION S250 Series delivers on the therapeutic promise of proton therapy while enhancing beam quality, stability and uptime. The result is reduced system complexity, higher reliability and throughput, and lower capital and operating costs—making the MEVION S250 Series a compelling, financially viable solution for all cancer centers.

Mevion is privately held and based in Littleton, Massachusetts, with international offices in the United Kingdom and Japan and a joint venture in China. For more information, please visit www.mevion.com.

About Ackerman Cancer Center

Ackerman Cancer Center aims to be patients’ first resource when faced with a cancer diagnosis. Ackerman Cancer Center provides the most advanced radiation oncology treatment available, in a compassionate and respectful environment. A highly trained staff of radiation oncologists and medical professionals provide convenient access of care at three locations across Northeast Florida. For more information, please visit www.ackermancancercenter.com.

HYPERSCAN has not been cleared by the USFDA for clinical use.

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