TAE Life Sciences and University of Wisconsin-Madison to Bring Promising Accelerator-Based BNCT Cancer Treatment to the USA

On September 25, 2025 TAE Life Sciences (TLS), a global leader in advancing next-generation boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW) reported to have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) announcing the intention to launch the first accelerator-based BNCT center in the United States (Press release, TAE Life Sciences, SEP 25, 2025, View Source [SID1234656249]). As part of this collaboration, UW would install the Alphabeam compact accelerator-based BNCT system developed by TAE Life Sciences. This significant milestone has the potential to pave the way for the adoption of BNCT in the United States.

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As part of this proposal, UW and TAE Life Sciences will collaborate on research and development of Alphabeam and novel boron-10 drugs through pre-clinical and clinical studies on several cancer indications with high unmet need, including brain and head and neck cancers. Available in Japan, and currently being evaluated in clinical trials in several other countries, BNCT is a cutting-edge cancer treatment that selectively targets cancer cells while minimizing harm to healthy tissue. TAE Life Sciences, with its compact accelerator-based neutron source and novel targeted boron-10 drug development, is the only company to have a comprehensive BNCT solution that replaces earlier challenges with nuclear reactor-based BNCT and has the potential to establish accelerator-based BNCT as a mainstay cancer treatment in the United States. This announcement further builds upon the success TAE Life Sciences has had deploying its technology globally. To date, the company has installed its neutron beam system in China’s Xiamen Humanity Hospital, which is currently running human clinical trials, and its Alphabeam will soon be installed at Italy’s National Center of Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO).

"Our collaboration with the esteemed University of Wisconsin–Madison underscores the growing momentum and recognition of BNCT as a transformative cancer therapy," stated Robert Hill, Chief Executive Officer of TAE Life Sciences. "By working closely with UW and the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, a leading cancer center renowned for its commitment to innovation, we aim to revolutionize the landscape for cancer treatment, and make even the most challenging cancers treatable with minimal side effects."

Alphabeam is a patented neutron source developed for clinical BNCT that offers a breakthrough approach to cancer treatment. This combinational therapy utilizes targeted boron-10 drugs and low-energy neutrons to destroy tumors with no damage to healthy tissues. With this system, patients can undergo a short, minimally invasive treatment in just one or two sessions, providing a streamlined alternative to traditional cancer therapies.

"Today marks a significant milestone in the field of oncology in the United States," said Dr. Zachary Morris, Chair and Paul Harari Professor of Human Oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. "Our collaboration with TAE Life Sciences brings together our expertise in clinical radiation medicine, translational research, and theranostics with the accelerator-based BNCT system, enabling us to harness the full potential of this advanced cancer treatment. Together, we aim to accelerate the development and clinical implementation of this therapy, ultimately providing patients with what we hope will be a markedly improved cancer treatment option that is currently not available anywhere else in North America."

The Alphabeam BNCT system and novel boron-10 drugs are for research purposes and not available for sale.

About BNCT

BNCT is a combination treatment based on the reaction that occurs when a non-toxic compound containing boron-10 is irradiated with a low-energy neutron beam. BNCT differs radically from other radiation therapy and shows promise in becoming the next-generation cancer treatment. Research has shown BNCT has the capability of killing cancer cells that are resistant to traditional radiation therapy with limited harm to healthy tissue. Current advances in both neutron radiation technology and medicinal boron drug targeting are enabling BNCT’s potential to improve patient care while also improving treatment economics. To date, approximately 2,000 patients have been treated with BNCT at research sites worldwide.