Varian has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its TrueBeam radiotherapy systems to use low-dose radiation therapy (LDRT) in adults with medically refractory osteoarthritis (OA).
Applying to the Siemens Healthineers subsidiary’s systems including TrueBeam, TrueBeam STx, VitalBeam, and Edge, Varian highlighted that clearance expands its radiotherapy systems’ application beyond cancer care into chronic musculoskeletal conditions.
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Research indicates that OA affects around 33 million people in the US, with a rapid upswell in the condition’s incidence in the US and globally due to factors including ageing, obesity, and injury.
Varian highlighted that many patients manage OA symptoms with medications or other treatment options, yet a significant number continue to experience pain and reduced quality of life.
According to the company, for these individuals, the newly cleared indication offers an outpatient treatment option based on a growing body of evidence that that LDRT can “target inflammation at the source, reduce pain, improve joint function, and delay the need for surgical intervention”.
Varian head Arthur Kaindl commented: “This clearance is a powerful example of how we’re expanding the reach of precision radiotherapy to meet broader healthcare needs.
“At Siemens Healthineers, we’re uniquely positioned to lead this transformation by bringing imaging and therapy together to improve lives not just in cancer care, but now in chronic conditions like osteoarthritis.”
Past research has found that arthroscopic procedures, wherein a camera is inserted into OA-affected joints, enabling practitioners to remove damaged tissue, can slow the disease’s development by up to 25%.
Meanwhile, arthrosamid, an injectable hydrogel designed to alleviate knee OA pain, has shown promise in the the Observational Clinical Investigation of Arthrosamid in knee Osteoarthritis (LUNA) trial. The most common pharmaceutical options for OA are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Formerly known as Varian Medical Systems, Siemens Healthineers acquired the California-based company in August 2020 for $16.4bn, from which point it became known as Varian.
