Samsung Medical Center Signs MOU with Alpha Tau to Develop Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Technology

Exploring the Potential Use of Alpha-Emitter-Based Local Radiation Therapy

Samsung Medical Center is partnering with Alpha Tau Medical, an Israeli developer of cancer treatments, to develop a treatment technology for pancreatic cancer.

Samsung Medical Center said on October 23 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Alpha Tau to promote exchanges and cooperation in the field of pancreatic cancer treatment.

Kim Heechul, head of Samsung Medical Center's Cancer Hospital (right), and Uzi Sofer, CEO of Alpha Tau. Samsung Medical Center

Founded in 2016, Alpha Tau developed Alpha DaRT, a radiation therapy that uses diffusing alpha-emitters. The company is pursuing the research, development and commercialization of local radiation therapy technologies for solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in South Korea, and its five-year relative survival rate is just 17.0%. More than four in 10 patients have cancer that has spread to other organs by the time they are diagnosed, while only about one in five patients undergoes surgery. It is considered a disease for which there is a significant need for new treatment options.

Alpha DaRT works by inserting small radiation-delivery sources directly into cancerous tissue, where they release alpha particles. Because alpha particles travel only a short distance, the treatment aims to destroy cancerous tissue while limiting its effects on surrounding healthy tissue.

Under the agreement, the two parties plan to assess whether Alpha DaRT can be applied to pancreatic cancer treatment. In particular, they will explore whether downstaging tumors to make them operable could expand the number of patients eligible for surgery.

Kim Heechul, head of Samsung Medical Center's Cancer Hospital, said, "I hope this MOU will help find new treatment possibilities for pancreatic cancer patients." He added, "We will continue to carefully assess the potential for clinical application of treatment technologies and do our utmost to strengthen our research capabilities."

Samsung Medical Center recently ranked fifth globally and first in South Korea in oncology in Newsweek's 2027 World's Best Specialized Hospitals rankings. The Cancer Hospital's Pancreatobiliary Cancer Center operates a multidisciplinary care team and a rapid diagnosis and treatment system. According to Samsung Medical Center Cancer Hospital's Outcomes Book, a total of 4,037 pancreatic cancer surgeries were performed from 2008 through 2025.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.