Melbourne Theranostic Innovation Centre (MTIC) in Melbourne’s north is now the home to Precision Molecular Imaging & Theranostics (PreMIT), a newly founded research and development company and to a state-of-the-art PET and CT scanner that has revolutionised the world of medicinal science, The Siemens Quadra Vision PET/CT.
PreMIT and MTIC will dramatically improve the lives of those with severe illness and position Melbourne as a global leader in theranostics for decades to come.
The collaboration will provide evidence-based molecular imaging and therapeutic nuclear medicine research leveraging the broad academic and industry collaborative network of the internationally recognised leader in theranostics, led by Professor Rod Hicks.
Professor Rod Hicks and Peter Gordon, OAM, are the founders of PreMIT. Their distinguished and complementary careers brought them together in the fight for the often-unmet needs of Australians living with cancer and other chronic illnesses.
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“I see a future of answers and opportunities for people going through the most difficult time in their lives. Theranostics is a key pillar of modern cancer medicine and enable the translation of personalised medicine from a lofty ideal into reality. We aim to scale patient access to new therapies faster and more affordable and ultimately create better outcomes for patients,” says Hicks.
The Quadra Vision PET/CT is a game-changing technology delivering much faster, more accurate and lower dose scans, meaning better diagnosis with a lower radiation risk, which is of particular benefit for patients requiring multiple scans for screening or follow-up of cancer, children, and pregnant women.
Addressing the challenges of more advanced cancers will be a priority but detection of high-risk cancers at an earlier stage will also be enabled by availability of diagnostic approaches with superior sensitivity and specificity compared to current techniques.
“We believe in patient-centred healthcare. The Quadra Vision PET/CT brings hope to those receiving clinical treatment based on world-class technology with less radiation and less time needed to get an accurate image, “says Gordon.
Dr Jim Williams, Global CEO of Molecular Imaging for Siemens Healthineers, says, “Siemens is proud to launch one of the few “whole-body” scanners worldwide in Victoria. With this installation, Australia will be a flagship for precision medicine and health outcomes through simultaneously imaging the human body from the brain down to the upper thigh.”
Integral to PreMIT’s success will be its operating paradigm, Tiger Cub, which encompasses vital features of a translation clinical and research program. It does so via effective partnerships in theranostic, imaging, genomics, registries, and the enabling of platform technologies. It will underpin PreMIT’s overarching objective to create an integrated research platform that unites Victorian expertise and local corporate entities in a joint effort to accelerate the discovery and clinical translation of the emerging field of theranostics.
Clinically, Professor Hicks will be partnered at MTIC by Dr Robert Ware, who has more than 30 years of experience as a Nuclear Medicine Physician, and Dr Jason Callahan, Chief Nuclear Medicine Technologist.
Source: MTIC