The U.K. Focused Ultrasound Foundation has launched with a mission to advocate for the use of ultrasound to treat tissue in the body without incisions or radiation.
In the U.K., focused ultrasound has regulatory clearance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and coverage by the National Health Service England for use for prostate cancer and essential tremor, according to the new group.
"The technology has 32 regulatory approvals worldwide and is in various stages of research and development for nearly 170 diseases and conditions including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, metastatic breast tumors, and tumors of the brain, liver, pancreas, and prostate," it noted in a press statement.
The foundation will allow for donations to be made directly for laboratory research and clinical trials in the U.K. The organization's primary foci are cancer immunotherapy, brain diseases, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and pediatric applications. It is already in partnership with prostate cancer charity Prost8 UK and focused ultrasound device manufacturer Sonablate, it said.
