Taking cancer treatment to the next level

Back in 2019, two former CERN physicists embarked on a journey to revolutionise proton therapy. Today, TERAPET, a medtech startup, has a team of 15 people, has raised 11MCHF in total and recently celebrated the successful clinical tests of their first device, Qualyscan.

The Qualyscan, TERAPET’s first product shown here in the Skandion Clinic, where it went thorough the performance validation with clinical proton beams. (Credit: Skandion Clinic)

Proton therapy, known for its precision, has traditionally relied solely on simulations for treatment planning, leaving doctors uncertain about the exact location of proton impact inside the patient. Dr. Christina Vallgren, CEO of TERAPET, emphasises the significance of this issue: “If the tumour is the size of a clementine, you don’t want to treat it like it’s an orange. Our journey to build a device that can visualise where inside the patient the proton hits is crucial. This capability can significantly narrow the treatment margins around the tumour, allowing doctors to minimise radiation exposure to patients, which is particularly important to prevent high doses during treatments.”

With the support of a third co-founder, external funding and an R&D collaboration with CERN funded by the Innosuisse Innovation Project Fund, TERAPET has made significant strides in developing innovative medical devices that utilise CERN’s expertise in scintillating crystals. This collaboration culminated in the creation of Qualyscan, demonstrating the powerful synergy between high-energy physics and medical innovation.

TERAPET, the medtech startup founded by two former CERN physicists is growing.

The challenges were formidable. Resources were limited, and the path to a real-scale product was daunting. Without CERN's state-of-the-art lab infrastructure and expert guidance, the journey would have been significantly longer and more costly. Yet, this collaboration enabled TERAPET to achieve a milestone previously unthinkable for a startup of our size: a real-scale prototype ready for clinical validation by the end of 2023.
– Dr Christina Vallgren

Looking forward, TERAPET aims to deploy Qualyscan in proton therapy facilities worldwide, enhancing the precision and effectiveness of cancer treatment on a global scale.

Dr Christina Vallgren, MBA (CEO and Co-Founder of TERAPET and President of the Board of Directors) and Dr Marcus Palm (CТO and Co-Founder of TERAPET and Member of the Board of Directors) with the Qualyscan, TERAPET’s first product shown here in the Skandion Clinic, where it went thorough the performance validation with clinical proton beams. (Credit: Skandion Clinic)

11 MCHF

raised in total since 2019

Growth of team to 15 dedicated professionals

Seed funding: CERN know-how to support a medtech startup

First product now ready for commercialisation