Heron Neutron Medical has invested NT$800 million (US$27.7 million) to set up an A-BNCT (accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy) R&D and production base at Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park, northern Taiwan
Heron president Leo Shen said an A-BNCT total therapeutic solution will be developed in line with technological development for recognizing tumors via AI-based image diagnosis, development of new targeted drugs containing boron and auxiliary apparatus in a bid to boost development of precision medicine in Taiwan.
A-BNCT uses neutrons in combination with boron-containing drugs to minimize damage of normal cells and hike therapeutic effect in brain cancers, Shen indicated.
Government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and National Tsing Hua University had cooperated in R&D of A-BNCT technology for years until Heron acquired the technology, Shen noted.
Heron aims at starting clinical experiments at medical centers in Taiwan in 2023 and obtaining a license from Taiwan Food and Drug Administration in 2025, Shen indicated.
Heron is a subsidiary of Hermes-Epitek, a semiconductor and optoelectronics equipment maker.
Hermes-Epitek vice chairman CY Shu (right) and Heron Neutron Medical president Leo Shen
Photo: Monica Chen, Digitimes, December 2020