Varian acquires Velocity clinical oncology data aggregation software

Varian is acquiring assets of Atlanta-headquartered cancer clinic software company, Velocity Medical Solution, including imaging data aggregation software, to improve long-term radiation therapy patient management, Varian announced March 12.

The software of interest allows a comprehensive view of aggregated and unstructured diagnostic imaging and patient data from a variety of sources for future therapy planning. The software pulls data from PET, CT and MR imaging systems that can subsequently be collected and transmitted to referring clinicians.

The software being acquired by Varian is being used presently in more than 200 cancer treatment centers around the world. The company expects to push that increasingly higher after the acquisition of Velocity’s assets.

"This acquisition supports our commitment to providing clinicians with tools for data-driven clinical decision making," president of Varian's Oncology Systems business Kolleen Kennedy said in a press release. "We believe that the Velocity software has the potential to play an important role at the over 4,400 cancer centers currently utilizing Varian technology.  The software enables health care professionals to use oncology patient images and data to plan and assess treatments, collaborate with colleagues, and share clinical knowledge—all important capabilities in an era of evidence-based medicine." 

Varian estimates that retreatment is deemed necessary for about 30 percent of patients who develop metastases after initial radiation therapy. The software is being considered a preparatory tool to help clinicians keep track of patient image and other data for future consultation.

"Varian strives to provide oncologists with curative tools for their patients,” added Kennedy. “When a cure is not possible, our vision is to turn cancer into a manageable disease like diabetes. With approaches like image-guided radiosurgery, a patient might be successfully treated multiple times for their primary cancer and then for metastatic lesions that can occur, sometimes months or even years later.  We envision clinicians using this software to fully understand a patient's clinical history in order to make informed decisions about the path forward."

Collaboration between Varian and Velocity is expected for further development of the software. Closing of the acquisition is scheduled for the third fiscal quarter.

“We expect that Varian will support the continued development of this important clinical tool and help to make it more widely available,” said Tim Fox, PhD, a founder of Velocity Medical Solutions and director of medical physics for the department of radiation oncology at Emory University in Atlanta. “We share a common vision to empower oncology care teams to make more confident decisions."