TechFocus Member Spotlight: Matthew Likens, CEO of GT Medical Technologies
In honor of Brain Tumor Awareness month, sit down with Matthew Likens, CEO of GT Medical Technologies, to learn more about the innovative GammaTile Therapy that’s been developed for patients with operable brain tumors. For decades, clinicians have sought better treatment options for brain tumor patients that would effectively target tumor cells, while minimizing damage to surrounding eloquent tissue.
GammaTile Therapy was developed by neuroscientists and neurosurgeons who worked closely with medical device experts to overcome the limitations of current brain tumor treatment and raise the overall standard of care. Before GammaTile Therapy, patients who had operable brain tumors underwent surgical resection, followed by daily external beam radiation for up to 6 weeks. The challenges patients faced on this treatment path were immense — challenges that were amplified due to issues related to costs or access to care. Likens said, “GammaTile is really the first advancement in brain tumor treatment in the last 10 years to get FDA clearance and now to be available commercially.”
Now, with GammaTile Therapy, patients with operable brain tumors experience a much-improved treatment path. No longer will patients have to wait for weeks after their surgery to start radiation therapy. No longer will they (and their support team) have to make the daily drive to a radiation facility to receive treatment. No longer will residual cancer cells be allowed to multiply — GammaTile Therapy is Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) that begins working immediately at the time of placement, during the surgical resection, eliminating the delay from surgical recovery, and minimizing the typical external beam radiation side effects, such as hair loss.
Since full market release in March 2020, GT Medical Technologies has invested significantly in clinical studies — providing the critical data that validates the effectiveness of GammaTile Therapy to clinicians around the world. “We are really proud to have 60 adopting institutions across the country, including major cancer centers like MD Anderson in Houston and Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York,” shared Likens.
The Oncology field will continue to evolve over the next decade, with expected diagnostic and treatment advancements related to artificial intelligence (AI), combinative treatment plan approaches tailored specifically for each patient, and innovative therapies similar to GammaTile. Working towards that future, the GT Medical’s R&D team is already exploring the use of GammaTile Therapy in areas outside of the brain, to address other cancers like breast cancer, spine cancer, pancreatic cancer and more.
GT Medical Technologies is very active in Arizona’s technology community and is proud to be a member of the AZ Tech Council, helping to drive innovation and growth within the medtech industry.
Recognized for both their leadership and innovation, award-winning GT Medical Technologies endeavors every day to improve the lives of brain tumor patients. Learn more about GT Medical Technologies by visiting https://gtmedtech.com/
