Item 1. Business
Item 1. BUSINESS
The Company
Accuray Incorporated is a radiation therapy company that develops, manufactures, sells and supports market-changing solutions that are designed to deliver radiation treatments for even the most complex cases, while making commonly treatable cases even more straightforward, to meet the full spectrum of patient needs. In comparison to conventional linear accelerators, we believe our treatment delivery, planning, and data management solutions provide better accuracy, flexibility, and control; fewer treatments with shorter treatment times; and the technology to expand beyond cancer treatment, making it easier for clinical teams around the world to provide treatments that help patients get back to living their lives, faster.
Our solutions are designed to advance patient care: during each individual treatment, throughout the treatment process, and at each stage of the cancer treatment journey, from curative to palliative treatments. Our solutions provide:
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Novel artificial intelligence driven radiation therapy systems that automatically adapt treatment delivery for targets that move, synchronizing the radiation beam with the target’s motion in real-time throughout treatment delivery.
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Automated tools help to identify interfraction changes for which re-planning is clinically beneficial and facilitate adaptation of the radiation dose precisely to the patient’s tumor.
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Distinctive software that accelerates and automates the re-planning process to make re-treatment of a previously irradiated area more efficient for practices and more effective for patients.
Our innovative technologies, the CyberKnife ® and TomoTherapy ® platforms, including the Radixact ® System, our next generation TomoTherapy platform, are designed to deliver advanced treatments, including stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and adaptive radiation therapy (ART). The CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms have complementary clinical applications with the same goal: to empower customers to deliver the most precise and accurate treatments while still minimizing dose to healthy tissue, helping to reduce the risk of side effects that may impact patients’ quality of life. Each of these systems serves patient populations treated by the same medical specialty, radiation oncology, with advanced capabilities. The CyberKnife platform is also used by neuro-radiosurgeons to treat patients with tumors in the brain and neurologic disorders. In addition to these platforms, we also provide services, which include post-contract customer support (warranty period services and post warranty services), installation services, training, and other professional services.
We were incorporated in California in 1990 and commenced operations in 1992. We reincorporated in Delaware in 2007. Our principal offices are located at 1310 Chesapeake Terrace, Sunnyvale, CA 94089, and our telephone number is (408) 716‑4600.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of a strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes novel coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have widespread, rapidly evolving, and unpredictable impacts on global society, economies, financial markets, and business practices. Federal and state governments implemented measures in an effort to contain the virus, including social distancing, travel restrictions, border closures, limitations on public gatherings, work from home, supply chain logistical changes, and closure of non-essential businesses, and, while there has been some reopening and reduction of restrictions, the emergence of new variants and increased cases has led to the reimplementation of restrictions in many areas. To protect the health and well-being of our employees, suppliers, and customers, we have made substantial modifications to employee travel and suspended non-essential work travel, implemented remote work arrangements as employees are advised to work from home, and cancelled or shifted most of our conferences and other marketing events to virtual through fiscal year 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and may continue to impact our business operations, including our employees, customers and partners, and there is substantial uncertainty in the nature and degree of its continued effects over time. Refer to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K) for further discussion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our fiscal year 2020 financial results.
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Market Overview
Despite significant improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment, cancer rates continue to increase globally and remain a leading cause of death. According to the World Health Organization, cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally and was responsible for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020. Globally, about 1 in 6 deaths are due to cancer, and the economic impact of cancer is significant and is expected to increase. The total annual economic cost of cancer in 2017 was estimated at approximately $1.16 trillion. In addition, while the real impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment will not be known for many years, the American Cancer Society (“ACS”) anticipates that decreased resources and access to care will result in “lower incidence (in 2020), higher mortality and decreased survival in the future.”
Cancers can be broadly divided into two groups: solid tumor cancers, which are characterized by the growth of malignant tumors within the body in areas such as the brain, lung, liver, breast or prostate, and hematological, or blood‑borne cancers, such as leukemia. The most common causes of cancer deaths are cancers of lung, liver, colorectal, stomach and breast. The ACS estimates that solid tumor cancers will account for approximately 1.6 million, or approximately 92% of new cancer cases diagnosed annually.
Traditional methods for the treatment of solid tumor cancers include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. The most common type of radiation therapy is external beam radiation therapy, in which patients are treated with high‑energy radiation generated by medical equipment external to the patient. The global radiotherapy equipment and software market has three main segments: Linear Accelerators (linacs), Treatment Planning Systems, and Radiation Therapy Simulators. Approximately 60% of cancer patients worldwide will undergo some form of radiation therapy during the course of their treatment. While radiation therapy is widely available in the United States and Western Europe, many developing countries currently do not have a sufficient number of linacs to adequately treat their domestic cancer patient populations. We believe increasing demand for advanced medical treatments in many international markets and growth in cancer incidences worldwide will continue to drive demand for linacs with more sophisticated capabilities in the coming years.
Emerging markets are especially underequipped with external beam radiation therapy systems. According to a publication called the Lancet Oncology Commission in 2015, radiation therapy is required in more than half of the newly diagnosed cancer patients. There was an estimated shortage of over 15,000 linacs globally in 2015, expected to grow to over 21,000 by 2035. This gap is most pronounced in low and middle income countries, where only 10% of patients have access to radiotherapy. China alone is estimated to have a shortfall of over 5,000 systems because of increasing cancer incidence and an aging population that is estimated to more than double by 2040.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high‑energy X-rays (photons) to destroy cancer cells and shrink or control the growth of tumors. Radiation therapy works by exposing clusters of cancer cells, or tumors, to a dose of high energy radiation sufficient to cause cell death and prevent cells from multiplying. During external beam radiation therapy, the clinician’s goal is to target radiation delivery to the tumor as precisely as possible in order to maximize the radiation dose delivered to cancerous tissue and minimize the exposure of healthy tissue. Recent advances in radiation therapy technologies have allowed clinicians to further improve the ability to target the radiation dose more precisely at cancer cells while minimizing the exposure of healthy tissue. These advances include the following:
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) involves varying, or modulating, the radiation beam intensity across the treatment area. This technique aims to conform the high dose region of the radiation beam more closely with the shape of the tumor, enabling the delivery of higher doses of radiation to tumors with a reduced impact on surrounding healthy tissue.
Image-guided radiation therapy. Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) involves delivering radiation guided by images of the treatment area taken shortly before and/or during treatment using CT scan, X‑ray, ultrasound or other imaging technologies. By combining imaging with radiation treatment, clinicians can adjust the patient’s position relative to the radiation source prior to each treatment to target the tumor more precisely.
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Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy. R adiosurgery is a form of radiation therapy that uses precisely targeted high doses of radiation to destroy tumors. R adiosurgery is non ‑invasive; there is no incision involved. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) both provide a high degree of targeting accuracy with very high doses of extremely precise, externally delivered radiation, thereby maximizing the cell-killing effect on the tumor(s) while minimizing the dose to nearby healthy tissue. SRS and SBRT are advanced external beam radiation treatment techniques used to deliver (ultra) hypofractionated radiation therapy. SRS is used to treat conditions within the brain, while SBRT is commonly used to treat tumors outside the brain. SRS and SBRT typically involve the delivery of a single high-dose radiation treatment or a few fractionated radiation treatments (usually up to five) to ablate (destroy) the tumor. To achieve the accuracy and precision required for both SRS and SBRT, image guidance during treatment, the ability to adjust the aim of the beam in real ‑time to correct for tumor motion, and a wide range of beam angles, are critical for treatment.
Adaptive radiation therapy. Adaptive radiation therapy (ART) involves adjusting a patient’s radiation therapy plan during or between fractions to account for changes in the patient’s anatomy, the amount and location of the radiation received by the patient, and the size, shape and location of the tumor. While there is no widely accepted definition of adaptive radiation therapy, it has been characterized to include as little as an adjustment to the physical position of the patient relative to the radiation source prior to treatment, as occurs during IGRT, rather than an adjustment to the treatment plan. Our approach is based on the belief that adaptive radiation therapy requires monitoring and adjustments to the treatment plan facilitated by both the regular acquisition of updated quantitative images showing the location, size, and shape of the tumor, and verification of the radiation dose received by the patient throughout the entire course of treatment.
Hypofractionation. Hypofractionation involves the delivery of higher doses of radiation per fraction over fewer total fractions than are used in conventional radiation therapy. Hypofractionated radiation therapy has been proven to deliver clinical outcomes as good as conventional fractionation, while dramatically reducing both the number of treatments and the total cost of care. The advent of innovative technological features in radiation therapy treatment planning and delivery has enabled clinicians to maximize the radiation dose administered to tumors in the patient, improving local tumor control and, in some cases, improving patient survival rates. Patients, too, benefit from the efficiency of hypofractionated radiation therapy. Fewer treatments means fewer clinical visits and a faster return to family, friends and other aspects of life. Hypofractionation is often used to treat small targets throughout the body, including the brain, head and neck, spine, lung and prostate. It is also being used more frequently in clinical applications where the radiobiology is appropriate for fewer fractions of higher doses, including the breast.
Despite advances in radiation therapy techniques, most commercially available radiation therapy systems from other manufacturers still present significant limitations that restrict clinicians’ ability to provide the most precise treatment possible. These limitations include:
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Limited versatility and precision. The C‑arm configuration of traditional radiation therapy systems has limitations because of its size and mechanical structure. C‑arm linac architecture is constrained to delivering radiation in a single plane (coplanar) thus limiting its radiation delivery capability for complex and advanced cases. Additionally, most previously existing multi-leaf collimator MLCs, which modulate or shape the radiation beams, have mechanical limitations that reduce their beam‑shaping ability and the speed at which they operate. These design elements limit the motion and dynamic range of IMRT intensities capable of being delivered by traditional radiation therapy systems and often make it challenging to achieve the precision needed to maximize dose to the tumor while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue and potential associated side effects. Such imprecision may prevent clinicians from treating tumors near sensitive anatomic structures, such as the eye or the spinal cord, or from re‑treating patients in an area of the body that was previously exposed to radiation and may be unable to tolerate additional exposure.
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Limited ability to provide quantitative images. Precise radiation therapy requires frequent images that accurately depict the size, shape and location of the tumor. Many traditional radiation therapy systems use imaging technologies that are not able to generate a quantitative assessment of the patient’s and/or target volume’s position. The lack of quantitative imaging prevents clinicians from understanding the actual amount of radiation that was received by tissue within the patient’s body. Since it is common for internal organs to shift and for the size of the tumor to change during the course of treatment, failure to
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adapt the plan throughout the course of treatment may result in a portion, or potentially all, of the radiation dose missing the tumor and instead being absorbed by healthy tissue
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Failure to integrate multiple functions. The basic architecture for traditional radiation therapy systems pre‑dates many recent advances that enable integrated imaging, treatment planning, dose verification or quality assurance capabilities necessary for more advanced treatment protocols. Some conventional systems have been subsequently adapted to include certain elements of this functionality by incorporating modular add‑on devices to legacy linac designs. These separate modular components can provide imaging, treatment planning, quality assurance procedures or post‑treatment analysis functionality. However, this add‑on architectural approach can have safety, accuracy, and workflow implications because of the manual methods used for checking proper system operation.
Development of Radiosurgery
Advanced radiation therapy systems designed to deliver radiosurgery or stereotactic body radiation therapy differ from traditional radiation therapy systems in that they are designed to deliver a very high cumulative dose of radiation, in a single or a small number of treatments precisely targeted at the tumor rather than at a region that consists of the tumor plus healthy tissue that surrounds the tumor area. The more accurate delivery of radiation allows higher doses to be delivered, increasing the probability of tumor cell death and better local control. In addition, radiosurgery can be administered to patients who have inoperable or surgically complex tumors, or who may prefer a clinically effective, non‑surgical treatment option.
Our Strategy
Our goal is to develop equipment and technology that enable physicians to deliver precise, customized, leading‑edge treatments that help patients with cancerous or benign tumors, or neurologic disorders, get back to living their lives, faster. We endeavor to achieve this goal by expanding the clinical options for healthcare providers, helping them offer the best radiation treatment for each patient and by providing patients with treatment tailored to their specific needs. Our vision is to expand the curative power of radiation therapy to improve as many lives as possible. We believe our current technologies and our future innovations can help to achieve this. Some of the key elements of our strategy include the following:
Increase physician adoption and patient awareness to drive utilization. We are continually working to increase adoption and awareness of our systems and demonstrate their advantages over other treatment methods, including more conventional approaches. We hold and sponsor symposia and educational meetings and support clinical studies to demonstrate the clinical benefits of our systems. We regularly meet with clinicians to educate them on the expanded versatility that our systems offer in comparison to more traditional radiation therapy products or surgery. We are continuously expanding our digital and social presence to reach and educate a broader audience of physicians and patients. To support awareness of all our product offerings, we assist our customers with increasing patient awareness in their communities by providing them with tools to develop marketing and educational campaigns.
Continue to expand the radiosurgery market. The CyberKnife System is a robotic radiosurgery system capable of treating tumors throughout the body. There are now over 1,900 peer reviewed publications supporting use of the CyberKnife System in the treatment of various cancer and tumor types. Radiosurgery is a commonly used procedure among neuro radiosurgeons who require the high level of precision found with surgery yet want to offer their brain tumor patients a non-invasive option. With more than two decades of clinical evidence, the CyberKnife System offers distinct advantages in the treatment of diseases in the head, base of the skull, and spine. These areas of the body require extremely accurate treatment because of the proximity of the tumors to critical structures that may impact a person’s ability to perform basic functions and to think, see, hear and walk.
Continue to innovate through clinical development and collaboration. The clinical success of our products is largely the result of the collaborative partnerships we have developed over the last decade with clinicians, researchers and patients. We proactively seek out and rely on constructive feedback from system users to learn what is needed to enhance the technology. As a result of this collaborative process, we continually refine and upgrade our systems, thereby improving our competitive position in the radiation therapy and radiosurgery markets. Upgrades to our systems are designed to address customer needs in the areas of improving the ease of use and accuracy of treatment, decreasing treatment times, and improving utilization for specific types of tumors.
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Expand sales in international markets. We intend to continue to increase our sales and distribution capabilities outside of the United States to take advantage of the large international opportunity for our products. Outside of the United States, we currently have regional offices in Morges, Switzerland, Hong Kong, China, Shanghai, China and Tokyo, Japan and direct sales staff in most countries in Western Europe, Japan, India and Canada. Combined with distributors in Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America, our sales and distribution channels cover more than 92 countries. However, many of these countries are not highly developed at this time and therefore sales opportunities may be limited. We intend to increase our international revenue by focused additions of direct sales personnel in targeted areas to further penetrate our most promising international markets, and additional distributors strategic partnerships, or joint ventures , where opportune.
Strategic partnerships and joint ventures. We intend to pursue strategic partnerships and joint ventures we believe will allow us to complement our growth strategy, increase sales in our current markets and expand into adjacent markets, broaden our technology and intellectual property, and strengthen our relationships with our customers. In fiscal 2016 we signed an agreement with RaySearch Laboratories AB, which led to the integration of treatment planning support for the TomoTherapy, Radixact and CyberKnife Systems in the RayStation treatment planning system (TPS). In fiscal 2017, we signed an agreement with Photo Diagnostic Systems, Incorporated to enhance image quality of our TomoTherapy System through an enhanced tomographic reconstruction software. In fiscal 2019, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Accuray Asia Limited (“Accuray Asia”), entered into an agreement with CNNC high Energy Equipment (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. (the “CIRC Subsidiary”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Isotope & Radiation Corporation, to form a joint venture, CNNC Accuray (TianJin) Medical Technology Co. Ltd. (the “JV”), to manufacture and sell radiation oncology systems in China.
Our Products
From oncology to neuro-radiosurgery and beyond, our solutions enable clinicians to deliver shorter, more personalized, and more effective treatments. Our suite of radiation delivery devices includes the CyberKnife and the Radixact System, our next generation TomoTherapy platform. We also offer our Onrad Treatment Delivery System, a configuration of the TomoTherapy System designed specifically to meet the needs of the market in China. In addition, our portfolio includes comprehensive software solutions to enable and enhance the precise and efficient radiotherapy treatment with our advanced delivery systems.
The CyberKnife Platform
The CyberKnife platform is comprised of the only full-body stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) robotic systems on the market - including the CyberKnife M6 and S7 Systems. These systems have the option of fixed collimators plus the Iris Variable Aperture Collimator (FI), fixed collimators plus the InCise MLC (FM) and fixed collimators plus the Iris Variable Aperture Collimator plus the InCise MLC (FIM).
Using continual image guidance technology and computer controlled robotic mobility, the CyberKnife platform are designed to deliver precise radiation from a wide array of beam angles and automatically track, detect and correct for tumor and patient movement in real‑time throughout the procedure, enabling artificial-intelligence (AI) driven delivery of precise, high dose radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy without manual user intervention. This design is intended to enable the CyberKnife platform to deliver high‑dose radiation with precision, which minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue and eliminates the need for invasive head or body immobilization frames. Our patented image‑guidance technology correlates low dose, real‑time treatment X‑rays with images previously taken with a CT scan of the tumor and surrounding tissue to direct each beam of radiation with increased precision versus treatments without this real‑time feedback. This, in turn, enables delivery of a highly conformal, non‑isocentric dose of radiation to the tumor, with minimal radiation delivered to surrounding healthy tissue. With its autonomous ability to track, detect and correct for even the slightest tumor and patient movement throughout the entire treatment, the CyberKnife platform is intended to provide patients with an effective and accurate treatment.
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Our configurations of CyberKnife platforms include the following:
The CyberKnife M6 Series with configurations of FI, FM and FIM. The M6 Series is available for sale in most major markets globally. It is used with the following options: a fixed collimator (F), an Iris collimator (I) or a multileaf collimator (M). With the InCise MLC, clinicians can deliver the same precise SRS and SBRT treatments they have come to expect with the CyberKnife platform, faster and for a wider range of tumor types than prior configurations. The InCise MLC and IMRT planning tools enable expansion of indications that can be treated with a CyberKnife to include many IMRT indications. The CyberKnife M6 Series includes disease‑specific tracking and treatment delivery solutions for brain, spine, lung and prostate tumors, treatment speed improvements, more options to configure the treatment room, expanded number of nodes leading to more coverage and sparing of healthy tissue.
The CyberKnife S7 Series with configurations of FI+, FM and FIM. The S7 Series can be sold in most major markets globally. It is used with the following options: a fixed collimator (F), an Iris collimator (I) or a multileaf collimator (M). With the InCise MLC, larger tumors previously thought untreatable with radiosurgery and SBRT are able to be treated efficiently and with unrivaled accuracy and tissue sparing. The InCise MLC and IMRT planning tools enable expansion of indications that can be treated with a CyberKnife System to include many IMRT indications. The CyberKnife S7 Series includes disease specific tracking and treatment delivery solutions for brain, spine, lung and prostate tumors, treatment speed improvements, more options to configure the treatment room, expanded number of nodes leading to more coverage and sparing of healthy tissue. The CyberKnife S7 System combines speed, advanced precision, and real-time artificial intelligence (AI)-driven motion tracking and synchronization treatment delivery for all SRS and SBRT treatments, in as little as 15 minutes.
We believe the CyberKnife platform offer clinicians and patients the following benefits:
The only truly robotic system in the market. Combining the benefits of continual image guidance and non isocentric, non coplanar treatment delivery, the CyberKnife platform is designed to precisely tailor radiation delivery to minimize dose to healthy tissue while maintaining sub millimeter accuracy and precision even for targets that move during treatment. We believe the CyberKnife platform is the clinical solution to choose when accuracy, flexibility, speed, and patient comfort are essential.
Treatment of inoperable or surgically complex tumors. The CyberKnife platform may be used to target tumors that cannot be easily treated with traditional surgical techniques because of their location, number, size, shape or proximity to vital tissues or organs, or because of the age or health of the patient. The CyberKnife platform’s intelligent robotics enable the precise targeting of a tumor, while at the same time minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Treatment of tumors throughout the body. The CyberKnife platform has been cleared by the FDA to provide treatment planning and image‑guided radiation treatment for tumors anywhere in the body where radiation treatment is indicated. By comparison, traditional frame‑based radiosurgery systems are generally limited to treating brain tumors and use cobalt 60 radioactive material, which decays over time and is difficult to replace. The CyberKnife platform is being used for the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors outside the brain, including tumors on or near the spine and in the lung, liver, prostate, kidney and pancreas in addition to tumors in the brain, with the same sub‑millimeter accuracy in every disease site.
Real‑time tracking of tumor movement. The CyberKnife platform is designed to enable the treatment of tumors that change position during treatment. The systems offer the following features which enhance image-guided robotic radiation delivery: Synchrony Motion Synchronization and Real-Time Adaptive Radiotherapy Technology, Xsight Lung Tracking System, Xsight Spine Tracking System, InTempo Adaptive Imaging System and Lung Optimized Treatment.
Significant patient benefits. The CyberKnife platform maximizes patient comfort. Patients may be treated with the CyberKnife platform on an outpatient basis without anesthesia and without the risks and complications inherent in traditional surgery. Patients do not require substantial pre treatment preparation, and typically there is little to no recovery time or hospital stay associated with CyberKnife platform’s treatments. In addition, the CyberKnife platform eliminates the need for an invasive rigid frame to be screwed into the patient’s skull or affixed to other parts of the body, or for trained breath holding or gating instruments.
Additional revenue generation through increased patient volumes. We believe clinical use of the CyberKnife platform allows our customers to effectively treat patients where extreme precision and ability to account for motion
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are important, and patients who otherwise would not have been treated with radiation or who may not have been good candidates for surgery.
Upgradeable modular design. The CyberKnife platform has a modular design, which facilitates the implementation of upgrades that often do not require our customers to purchase an entirely new system to gain the benefits of new features. We continue to work to develop and offer new clinical capabilities enhancing ease of use, reducing treatment times, improving accuracy and improving patient access. The main components and options of the CyberKnife platform include: the compact X‑band linear accelerator; robotic manipulator, the real‑time image‑guidance system with continuous target tracking and correction; X‑ray sources; image detectors. Key features of these components include:
Robotic manipulator arm. The robotic manipulator arm, with six‑degrees‑of‑freedom range of movement, is designed to move around the patient to position the linac and direct the radiation with an extremely high level of precision and repeatability. The manipulator arm provides what we believe to be a unique method of positioning the linac to deliver doses of radiation from nearly any direction and position, without the limitations inherent in gantry‑based systems, creating a non‑isocentric composite dose pattern with a high level of conformance to the shape of each treated tumor. This flexibility enhances the ability to diversify beam trajectories and beam entrance and exit points, helping to minimize risks of radiation damage to healthy cells near the tumor. Furthermore, the rapid response time of the manipulator arm allows tracking of tumors that move with respiration.
Real‑time image‑guidance system with continuous target tracking and correction. Without the need for clinician intervention or treatment interruption, the CyberKnife platform’s real‑time image‑guided robotics are designed to enable continuous monitoring and correction for patient and tumor movements throughout each treatment as it is being delivered.
X‑ray sources. The low‑energy X‑ray sources generate the X‑ray images that help determine the location of bony or other anatomic landmarks, or implanted fiducials, which are used for tracking throughout the entire treatment.
Image detectors. The image detectors capture high‑resolution anatomical images throughout the treatment. These live images are continually compared to the patient’s CT scan to determine real‑time patient positioning. Based on this information, the robotic manipulator automatically corrects for detected movements.
In addition to the main components listed above, we also offer the following components and options: Synchrony Motion Synchronization and Real-Time Adaptive Radiotherapy Technology; Xsight Spine Tracking System; Xsight Lung Tracking System; Lung Optimized Treatment; RoboCouch Patient Positioning System; Xchange Robotic Collimator Changer; InTempo Adaptive Imaging System; Iris Variable Aperture Collimator; and the InCise MLC. Key features of some of these components are as follows:
Synchrony Motion Synchronization and Real-Time Adaptive Radiotherapy Technology. The Accuray proprietary Synchrony Motion Synchronization and Real-Time Adaptive Radiotherapy Technology is a collection of unique hardware and software technologies that enables personalized real-time adaptive delivery of radiation treatment to targets while they are in motion by synchronizing the treatment delivery beam position to the target location precisely and accurately during the delivery of a treatment fraction. Synchrony is the only technology that uses artificial intelligence, through image guidance, to automatically adapt and synchronize the radiation beam to the position of the tumor if and when it moves during treatment, enabling the delivery of highly conformal radiation beams while minimizing dose to healthy tissue. The beams of radiation are delivered continuously throughout the treatment session as the patient behaves naturally. Synchrony is used to continuously track tumors that move with respiration as beams are synchronized in real time to tumor position while adapting to changes in breathing patterns. The Synchrony technology provides what we believe is unsurpassed clinical accuracy for tumors that move with respiration without the need for implanted fiducials. It makes it possible and practical for clinicians to deliver radiation dose with sub millimeter precision and accuracy, even for tumors that move with respiration.
Xsight Tracking System. The Xsight Spine and Lung Tacking Systems allow for tracking of tumors without the need for implanted markers in the spine and the lung.
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Lung Optimized Treatment. An integrated suite of tools that provides a complete fiducial ‑free clinical solution for lung cancer patients and optimizes non ‑invasive lung SBRT treatments.
InTempo Adaptive Imaging System. The InTempo Adaptive Imaging System is designed to optimize imaging frequency during prostate treatments and uses time‑based image guidance to assist with tracking and correcting non‑predictable intrafraction target motion.
Iris Variable Aperture Collimator. The Iris Variable Aperture Collimator enables delivery of beams in 12 unique sizes with a single collimator, which significantly reduces treatment times and the total radiation dose delivered to the patient.
InCise Multileaf Collimator. The InCise MLC, originally designed for the CyberKnife M6 Series, is also available on the CyberKnife S7 Systems. It is designed to deliver the same precise SRS and SBRT treatments clinicians expect from the CyberKnife platform, while significantly reducing treatment times. With the InCise MLC, the CyberKnife M6 Series can be used to treat larger and irregular tumors more efficiently.
The TomoTherapy Platform, including the Radixact System, our next-generation TomoTherapy platform
The TomoTherapy platform includes the Radixact System, the next‑generation TomoTherapy platform, which includes configuration options of X5, X7 and X9, and the TomoTherapy H Series, with configuration options of TomoH, TomoHD, and TomoHDA. The Radixact System has been cleared in most major markets globally. The TomoTherapy platform consist of fully integrated and versatile radiation therapy systems used by healthcare professionals in the treatment of a wide range of cancer types. We believe the TomoTherapy platform offers clinicians and patients the following benefits:
Versatile treatment capabilities. The TomoTherapy platform’s ring gantry architecture enables precise and efficient treatments with a high degree of dose conformity. The high‑speed binary MLC is integrated with the linac and consists of 64 individual low leakage tungsten leaves that move across the beam to either block or allow the passage of radiation, effectively modulating and shaping the beam as it is emitted. The combination of the ring gantry and the high‑speed MLC enable treatment to be delivered continuously in a 360‑degree helical pattern around the patient’s body (which we refer to as TomoHelical). Additionally, the TomoDirect feature provides the TomoTherapy platform with added versatility, enabling the delivery of high quality, fixed angle beams for those cases suited to simple tangential beam radiation delivery. All TomoTherapy platform systems enable an operator to provide non‑isocentric 3D conformal radiotherapy, IG- IMRT, or stereotactic treatments within a typical cylindrical volume of 40 centimeters in diameter and up to 135 centimeters in length. This expansive treatment field allows single or multiple tumors, located anywhere in body, to be treated in a single session. The TomoTherapy platform’s versatility, efficiency and precision offer clinicians an extensive range of effective treatment possibilities.
Real-time tracking of tumor movement. The Accuray proprietary Synchrony® Motion Synchronization and Real-Time Adaptive Radiotherapy Technology is a collection of unique hardware and software technologies that enables personalized real-time adaptive delivery of radiation treatment to targets while they are in motion by synchronizing the treatment delivery beam position to the target location precisely and accurately during the delivery of a treatment fraction. Synchrony is the only technology that uses artificial intelligence, through image guidance, to automatically adapt and synchronize the radiation beam to the position of the tumor if and when it moves during treatment. The beams of radiation are delivered continuously throughout the treatment session as the patient behaves naturally. Synchrony can be used on the Radixact System to adapt treatment delivery for tumors that move as a result of bodily processes, including respiration and digestion, as well as patient movement. Synchrony treatments are truly personalized, as delivery is adapted to the individual’s unique movements throughout treatment delivery. If movement changes during treatment, delivery is adapted for that unique change. The Synchrony technology makes it possible and practical for clinicians to deliver radiation dose with accuracy and precision, even for tumors that move. Synchrony helps to maximize treatment effectiveness and minimize dose to surrounding healthy tissue because it accounts for the current and changing conditions of the patient during treatment delivery.
Diagnostic-like quality kVCT images that enable better identification of tumors, dose verification and treatment planning We recently launched ClearRT™ helical kVCT imaging technology for the Radixact System. ClearRT imaging brings low dose diagnostic-like kVCT imaging quality, the largest imaging field of view available
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on a radiation delivery system at 50 cm (diameter) by 135 cm (long), and speed, as evidenced by its ability to capture a 1-meter image in only 1 minute. ClearRT delivers enhanced imaging capabilities compared to conventional linear accelerator systems that rely on cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging and as an alternative to MR-based radiation therapy systems that can be complex and cost prohibitive to use. ClearRT offers excellent uniformity and low noise across the entire image, improved soft tissue visualization and exceptional spatial resolution, which is intended to enhance the versatility and efficiency of the Radixact System in the radiation therapy department.
Integrated treatment system for precise radiation delivery. We believe the integration of our proprietary imaging technologies, treatment planning and helical radiation delivery mode enables highly accurate and precise radiation therapy. Our planning software allows clinicians to establish the contours of a tumor and any normal radio-sensitive structures in close proximity to the treatment beam. The TomoTherapy platform uses an intelligent dose optimization algorithm to ensure the radiation beam conforms to the patient’s tumor and minimizes exposure to surrounding healthy tissue structures, providing a highly‑targeted and effective dose distribution. These features significantly benefit patients by increasing the radiation delivered to cancerous tissues while minimizing damage to nearby healthy tissues, thus also minimizing side effects.
Efficient clinical workflow for Image-Guided Radiation Therapy, or IGRT, and adaptive radiation therapy. The TomoTherapy platform integrates into a single system all of the key elements for radiation therapy, including treatment planning, CT image‑guided patient positioning, treatment delivery, quality assurance and adaptive planning. The imaging and treatment planning capabilities of many traditional systems are more modular or require cumbersome add‑ons or separate treatment planning systems that result in clinicians taking more steps between scanning, planning and treatment of patients. Conversely, the integrated CTrue IR imaging and treatment features of the Radixact Systems allow clinicians to scan, plan and treat cancer patients efficiently. Treatment plans as well as daily images can be easily accessed remotely, enabling clinical teams to collaboratively work together, regardless of location, ensuring high quality plan development and delivery. Additionally, ClearRT provides clear, high-fidelity images that will reduce the time required for patient imaging and registration, a crucial part of the treatment delivery process, thereby enabling clinical staff to serve more patients. Also, ClearRT helical kVCT images will be available within the Accuray PreciseART ® automated dose trending tool for clinicians to evaluate if plan adaptation would be beneficial, enabling the most personalized patient care.
Low barriers to installation and implementation. All external beam radiation systems must be housed in rooms that have special radiation shielding to capture any radiation not absorbed by the patient. The TomoTherapy platform’s size and self‑contained design allow customers to retrofit them into existing treatment rooms previously used for legacy radiation therapy systems and avoid, or reduce, the significant construction costs that can be associated with building new, larger treatment rooms, which are often required of other radiation therapy systems. With both imaging and radiation delivery capabilities integrated on a ring gantry, the TomoTherapy and Radixact Systems require less space than other linac systems, which use large moving arms to position the linac or incorporate adjacent imaging equipment used for treatment planning. In addition, because the TomoTherapy and Radixact Systems have an integrated radiation beam stop, which shields radiation that passes through the patient, they require less radiation shielding in treatment room walls as compared to traditional systems. We also preassemble, test and commission each TomoTherapy and Radixact System at our manufacturing facility, and ship the system almost fully assembled. This process typically allows radiation “beam on” within four days after delivery and first patient treatments to begin within 14 to 28 days after delivery.
Platform for further technological advancements in adaptive radiation therapy. We believe the Radixact System is uniquely positioned to enable truly adaptive radiation therapy because of its ability to provide daily, quantitative images, high speed delivery of radiation from fixed beam angles or helically from 360 degrees around the body and real time verification of the dose received by the patient. We believe the combination of these design features and our integrated treatment planning and optimization software will allow us to continue to enhance the Radixact System’s adaptive capabilities to enable clinicians to routinely and easily adjust a patient’s treatment as needed, thereby remaining true to the intent of the original treatment plan.
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In addition to the functionality listed above, the TomoTherapy and Radixact Systems may be enhanced with the following product options: TomoDirect Mode and TomoEdge Delivery. Key capabilities of these options are as follow s :
TomoDirect Mode. TomoDirect is standard on the TomoTherapy HDA model and Radixact X7 and X9 models. The TomoDirect mode is a discrete angle, non‑rotational delivery mode that enables the user to create a treatment plan that defines target‑specific gantry angles. Treatment delivery is quickly completed for each beam angle. The TomoDirect mode enables users to plan and treat routine cases with greater efficiency, while achieving the quality of the TomoTherapy platform’s unique beamlet‑based delivery.
TomoEdge Delivery. TomoEdge is standard on the TomoTherapy HDA model and Radixact X7 and X9 models. By dynamically varying the width of the collimator jaws during treatment delivery, dose to normal healthy tissues immediately adjacent to the tumor is reduced, helping to minimize the risk of radiation side effects. Additionally, overall treatment time is shortened because the jaws opening can be effectively tailored to the size of the tumor, enabling more efficient dose coverage. The resulting gains in treatment quality and speed expand the TomoTherapy and Radixact Systems’ clinical and market reach within the conventional and stereotactic radiotherapy spaces.
Our Software Solutions
Our Accuray Precision Treatment Planning with iDMS Data Management Systems provide fully integrated treatment planning and data management systems for use with all compatible Accuray platforms.
Accuray Precision Treatment Planning. With a streamlined and intuitive Windows‑based interface, Accuray Precision Treatment Planning System enables clinicians to efficiently generate high quality radiation therapy treatment plans for all case types. It is a complete planning solution, including multi‑modality image fusion with proprietary deformable image registration algorithm, comprehensive suite of contouring tools, AutoSegmentation auto‑contouring options for head and neck, brain, and prostate, side‑by‑side treatment plan comparison, plan summation and evaluation. It supports treatment plan creation for all case types with TomoHelical, TomoDirect IMRT and 3D CRT planning mode on both Radixact and TomoTherapy Systems enabled with iDMS Data Management Systems. It also supports planning for all case types on CyberKnife platforms, including Frameless Intracranial Radiosurgery, Fiducial‑Free Lung Tracking with Dynamic Motion Synchronization, SBRT, for the spine, abdomen and pelvis, as well as IMRT. It provides fast and accurate dose computation engines for both Accuray platforms, including Monte Carlo dose calculation for the CyberKnife InCise multileaf collimator and VOLO™ Technology for the CyberKnife, Radixact and TomoTherapy Systems. The VOLO solution features high‑speed parallel processing for both dose calculation and optimization that empowers clinicians to create highly customized treatment plans in less time, with greater flexibility to work interactively and in real time to efficiently develop the best IMRT treatment plans for even the most complex cases.
The Accuray Precision Treatment Planning System can be further enhanced with optional advanced capabilities below:
PreciseART Adaptive Radiation Therapy Option. The PreciseART Radiation Therapy Option extends adaptive radiotherapy possibilities, delivering an entirely new level of system integration and workflow automation for Radixact and other TomoTherapy Systems compatible with iDMS. The PreciseART Option enables clinicians to monitor patient treatment and efficiently adapt plans, helping clinics of all sizes deliver more precise treatments to more patients. It offers automated processing of daily imaging to enable clinicians to monitor all patients and set protocol‑specific action levels to flag cases for review and possible plan adaptation. Its streamlined re‑planning capabilities leverage full integration of treatment delivery, planning and database systems to allow clinicians to efficiently generate new treatment plans based on previous plan data. It also maintains the integrity of original treatment plans to ensure tumor coverage, preserve Organ‑At‑Risk (OAR) doses and reduce toxicity. We believe our PreciseART software is the only practically usable adaptive therapy solution available to the mainstream radiation therapy market.
PreciseRTX Retreatment Option. The PreciseRTX Retreatment Option makes retreatment planning more efficient and effective. The option helps to accelerate and enhance the process of creating new treatment plans for patients who have received previous irradiation. The workflow includes importation of patient dose data, from either Accuray or non Accuray planning systems, automatic deformation of original plan contours onto a new treatment
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planning CT, automatic deformation of previously delivered dose onto a new planning CT, generation of the re treatment plan based on the information from existing plan and summation of the original and new treatment plans to review the total dose.
Accuray iDMS Data Management System . Accuray iDMS creates a centralized platform for storing and managing all patient and treatment plan data. Designed to integrate with a wide range of technologies and systems, iDMS enables users and applications to securely and seamlessly access the data they need to drive efficient, informed, effective treatment. Information for patients to be treated or previously treated on any iDMS compatible Accuray platform will be maintained as a single treatment record, providing the flexibility to treat patients on any available Accuray platform compatible with iDMS. It can manage users and privileges to control patient data access. It supports the Storage Vault option, which can safely maintain years of encrypted patient data. It also offers customizable report generation of patient, plan and treatment system with Report Administration Application. In addition, the Accuray iDMS enables connectivity between Accuray platforms with other systems in radiation oncology departments, encompassing the entire radiotherapy workflow. iDMS offers several key capabilities:
OIS Connect Option . The OIS Connect software option is a DICOM standard based solution that provides the ability to interface all iDMS enabled Accuray platform to a compatible Oncology Information System (OIS). This integration with electronic medical record generates a comprehensive export of the radiotherapy treatment history delivered using Accuray platforms.
Tomo Quality Assurance (TQA) package . The TQA application offers trending and reporting of many system and dosimetric parameters that allow physicians to monitor the performance of their TomoTherapy platforms.
Delivery Analysis . Delivery Analysis is a software option for the TomoTherapy platform that enables easy pre treatment patient QA and also offers an innovative capability to monitor doses throughout the patient treatment using detector signals to ensure that the patient is receiving the expected dose from treatment to treatment. The product option provides both high level analytics for summary display as well as detailed analysis capability.
Sales and Marketing
In the United States, we primarily market to customers directly through our sales organization, and we also market to customers through sales agents and Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs). Outside the United States, we market to customers directly and through distributors. We have sales and service offices in Europe, Japan, China, and other countries in Asia, Latin America, and throughout the world.
In direct sales markets, we employ a combination of territory sales managers, product specialists, training specialists and marketing managers. Territory sales managers and product specialists are responsible for selling the systems to hospitals and stand‑alone treatment facilities. Our marketing managers help market our current products and work with our engineering group to identify and develop upgrades and enhancements for our suite of products. Our training specialists train radiation oncologists, surgeons, physicists, dosimetrists and radiation therapists.
We market our products to radiation oncologists, neurosurgeons, general surgeons, oncology specialists and other referring physicians in hospitals and stand‑alone treatment facilities. We intend to continue to increase our focus on marketing and education efforts to surgical specialists and oncologists responsible for treating tumors throughout the body, and are also working closely with hospital administrators to demonstrate the economic benefits of our offering. Our marketing activities also include efforts to inform and educate cancer patients about the benefits of the CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms.
Under our standard distribution agreement, we generally appoint a distributor for a specific country. We typically also retain the right to distribute the CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms in such territories, though we remain bound by certain agreements entered into by TomoTherapy prior to our acquisition that did not retain such rights in certain jurisdictions. In most territories, our distributors generally provide the full range of service and sales capabilities, although we may provide installation and service support for certain distributors.
In China, our joint venture in China (the “JV”) has begun selling our products, much like a distributor. In the long term, we anticipate that the JV will manufacture and sell a locally branded “Made in China” radiotherapy device in the Class B license category, which would replace our current offering in that category. We believe this strategy will allow us to best maximize both near and longer-term opportunities in China.
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Manufacturing
We purchase major components for each of our products from outside suppliers, including the robotic manipulator, treatment couches, gantry, magnetrons and computers. We closely monitor supplier quality, delivery performance and conformance to product specifications, and we also expect suppliers to contribute to our efforts to improve our manufacturing cost and quality.
Some of the components are obtained from single‑source suppliers. These components include the couch, magnetron and solid state modulator for the TomoTherapy platform and the robot, couch, and magnetron for the CyberKnife platform. In most cases, if a supplier was unable to deliver these components, we believe we would be able to find other sources for these components subject to any regulatory qualifications, if required. In the event of a disruption in any of these suppliers’ ability to deliver a component, we would need to secure a replacement supplier. Additionally, any disruption or interruption of the supply of key subsystems could result in increased costs and delays in deliveries of our treatment systems, which could adversely affect our reputation and results of operations. To help mitigate these risks, we negotiate long‑term supply contracts or submit long‑term orders and forecasts to our single‑source suppliers with the goal that our demand can be satisfied and any capacity problem can be mitigated.
Currently, we manufacture our CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms in Madison, Wisconsin. We manufacture the linear accelerator for our CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms at our Chengdu, China facility. Our facilities employ state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing techniques and equipment. The components manufactured at our Chengdu facility are produced under the International Standard Organization (ISO), 13485:2016 certified quality management systems. The completed medical devices are designed, manufactured, installed, serviced and distributed at our Sunnyvale, Madison and Morges facilities under quality management systems which are compliant to the internationally recognized quality system standard for medical devices ISO, 13485:2016, and the Quality System regulations enforced by the FDA. We believe our manufacturing facilities will be adequate for our expected growth and foreseeable future demands for at least the next three years.
The manufacturing processes at our facilities include fabrication, subassembly, assembly, system integration and final testing. Our manufacturing personnel consist of fabricators, assemblers and technicians supported by production engineers as well as planning and supply chain managers. Our quality assurance program includes various quality control measures from inspection of raw material, purchased parts and assemblies through on‑line inspection. We have also incorporated lean manufacturing techniques to improve manufacturing flow and efficiency. Lean manufacturing techniques include reducing wasteful and extraneous activities, balancing assembly and test flow, as well as better utilizing production assets and resources.
Intellectual Property
The proprietary nature of, and protection for, our products, product components, processes and know‑how are important to our business. We seek patent protection in the United States and internationally for our systems and other technology where available and when appropriate. We may also in‑license the technology, inventions and improvements that we consider important to the development of our business. In addition, we also rely upon trade secrets, know‑how, trademarks, copyright protection, as well as confidentiality agreements with employees, consultants and other third parties, to protect our proprietary rights and to develop and maintain our competitive position.
As of June 30, 2021, we held exclusive field of use licenses or ownership of approximately 488 U.S. and foreign patents, and approximately 154 U.S. and foreign patent applications. These patents and applications cover various components and techniques incorporated into the CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms, or which may be incorporated into new technologies under current development, all of which we believe will allow us to maintain a competitive advantage in the field of radiation therapy systems. We cannot be certain that any patents will be issued from any of our pending patent applications, nor can we be certain that any of our existing patents or any patents that may be granted to us in the future will provide us with protection.
We periodically monitor the activities of our competitors and other third parties with respect to their use of intellectual property.
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Research and Development
Continued innovation is critical to our future success. Our current product development activities include projects expanding clinical applications, driving product differentiation, and continually improving the usability, interoperability, reliability, and performance of our products. We continue to seek to develop innovative technologies so that we can improve our products and increase our sales. Some of our product improvements have been discussed above under the heading “Our Products.”
Our research activities strive to enable new product development opportunities by developing new technologies and advancing areas of existing core technology such as next generation linear accelerators, adaptive therapy, patient imaging, motion management, or treatment planning capabilities.
The modular design of our systems supports rapid development for new clinical capabilities and performance enhancements by generally allowing each subsystem to evolve within the overall platform design. Access to regular product upgrades protects customer investment in the system, facilitates the rapid adoption of new features and capabilities among existing installed base customers, and drives increasing value in our multiyear service plans. These upgrades will generally consist of software and hardware enhancements designed to increase the ease of use of our systems, improve the speed and accuracy of patient treatment and meet other customer needs.
A key component of our research and development program is our collaboration with research programs at selected hospitals, cancer treatment centers, academic institutions and research institutions worldwide. Our agreements with these third‑party collaborators generally require us to make milestone‑based payments during the course of a particular project and often also require that we make up‑front payments to fund initial activities. Generally, we obtain non‑exclusive worldwide rights to commercialize results from the collaboration with an option to negotiate an exclusive license. For inventions resulting from the collaboration that we own or exclusively license, we generally grant a royalty‑free license for the purpose of continuing the institution’s research and development, and from time to time, we also grant broader licenses. Our research collaboration programs include work on clinical protocols and hardware and software developments. We also work with suppliers to develop new components in order to increase the reliability and performance of our products and seek opportunities to acquire or invest in the research of other parties where we believe it is likely to benefit our existing or future products.
We have entered into collaboration agreements with a variety of industrial partners within the fields of radiation oncology and medical imaging to provide us with opportunities to accelerate our innovation capability and bring complimentary products and technologies to market. We continue to seek out new partnerships to complement our internal developments and implement our product strategies.
Competition
The medical device industry in general and the non‑invasive cancer treatment field in particular, are subject to intense and increasing competition and rapidly evolving technologies. Because our products often have long development and regulatory approval cycles, we must anticipate changes in the marketplace and the direction of technological innovation and customer demands. To compete successfully, we will need to continue to demonstrate the advantages of our products and technologies over well‑established alternative procedures, products and technologies, and convince physicians and other healthcare decision makers of the advantages of our products and technologies. Traditional surgery and other forms of minimally invasive procedures, brachytherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other drugs remain alternatives to the CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms.
New product sales in this competitive market are primarily dominated by two companies: Elekta AB (Elekta) and Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (Varian), which was recently acquired by Siemens Healthineers. Some manufacturers of standard linac systems, including Varian and Elekta, have products that can be used in combination with body and/or head frame systems and image‑guidance systems to perform both radiosurgical and radiotherapy procedures. Our other competitors include ViewRay Inc. (ViewRay), RefleXion Medical, Zap Medical, and other companies in the radiosurgical and radiation therapy markets.
Furthermore, many government, academic and business entities are investing substantial resources in research and development of cancer treatments, including surgical approaches, radiation treatment, MRI‑guided radiotherapy systems, proton therapy systems, drug treatment, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and other approaches. Successful
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developments that result in new approaches for the treatment of cancer could reduce the attractiveness of our products or render them obsolete.
Our future success will depend in large part on our ability to establish and maintain a competitive position in current and future technologies. Rapid technological development may render the CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms and their technologies obsolete. Many of our competitors have or may have greater corporate, financial, operational, sales and marketing resources, and more experience in research and development than we have. We cannot assume that our competitors will not succeed in developing or marketing technologies or products that are more effective or commercially attractive than our products or that would render our technologies and products obsolete or less useful. We may not have the financial resources, technical expertise, marketing, distribution or support capabilities to compete successfully in the future. Our competitive position also depends, among other things, on:
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Widespread awareness, acceptance and adoption of our products by the radiation oncology and cancer therapy markets;
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Innovations that improve the effectiveness and productivity of our systems’ treatment processes and enable them to address emerging customer needs;
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Availability of reimbursement coverage from third‑party payors (including insurance companies, governments, and/or others) for procedures performed using our platforms;
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Inclusion of radiotherapy in countries’ cancer treatment policies as an effective treatment modality;
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Published, peer‑reviewed data supporting the efficacy and safety of our platforms;
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Limiting the time required from proof of feasibility to routine production;
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Limiting the time period and cost of regulatory approvals or clearances;
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The manufacture and delivery of our products in sufficient volumes on time, and accurately predicting and controlling costs associated with manufacturing, installation, warranty and maintenance of the products;
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Our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel;
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The extent of our intellectual property protection or our ability to otherwise develop and safeguard proprietary products and processes;
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Our ability to successfully expand into new and developing markets;
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Securing sufficient capital resources to expand both our continued research and development, and sales and marketing efforts; and
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Obtaining and maintaining any necessary United States or foreign regulatory approvals or clearances.
Our customers’ equipment purchase considerations typically include reliability, treatment quality, service capabilities, patient throughput, price, payment terms and equipment supplier viability. We believe we compete favorably with our competitors on price and value based upon the technology offered by our platforms. We strive to provide a technologically superior product that covers substantially all aspects of radiation therapy to deliver precise treatments with high‑quality clinical outcomes that meet or exceed customer expectations.
In addition to competition from technologies performing similar functions as our platforms, competition also exists for the limited capital expenditure budgets of our customers. For example, our platforms may compete with other equipment required by a radiation therapy department for financing under the same capital expenditure budget, which is typically limited. A purchaser, such as a hospital or cancer treatment center, may be required to select between the two items of capital equipment. Our ability to compete may also be adversely affected when purchase decisions are based solely upon price, since our products are premium‑priced systems due to their higher level of functionality and performance.
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U.S. Reimbursement
In the United States, healthcare providers that purchase capital equipment such as the CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms generally rely on government and private third‑party payors for reimbursement for the healthcare treatment and services they provide. Examples of these types of payors include Medicare, Medicaid, private health insurance plans, and health maintenance organizations, which reimburse all or a portion of the cost of treatment, as well as related healthcare services. Reimbursement involves three components: coverage, coding and payment.
Coverage
There are currently no National Coverage Determinations in place under Medicare for CyberKnife or TomoTherapy treatments. Medicare coverage criteria for treatments performed on a CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platform is outlined in Local Coverage Determinations or, in the absence of a formal policy, treatment is covered as long as it is considered reasonable and necessary. The most common indications covered by Medicare in Local Coverage Determinations for radiotherapy are primary and metastatic tumors in the brain, spine, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, adrenal gland, head and neck, breast, prostate, abdominal and retroperitoneal regions, as well as other cancers that have failed previous treatment. Commercial payor policies vary with respect to coverage for radiotherapy including many of the indications covered by Medicare, though coverage criteria may differ.
Coding
The codes that are used to report radiosurgery treatment delivery in 2021 for the hospital outpatient department are Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 77372 and 77373 for single fraction intracranial radiosurgery and single fraction extracranial/multi‑session radiosurgery/stereotactic body radiation therapy. For freestanding centers, robotic radiosurgery is billed with robotic radiosurgery Healthcare Common Procedural Codes (HCPCs) G0339 and G0340. The non‑robotic SRS/SBRT codes 77372 and 77373 are also payable codes in the freestanding site of service for non‑robotic SRS/SBRT.
In 2021, in the hospital outpatient department, IMRT delivery is billed under CPT code 77385 for simple IMRT and 77386 for complex IMRT. For 3D CRT three codes are used to report simple, intermediate, and complex treatments. 3D-CRT treatments delivered using the TomoTherapy and Radixact Systems are considered complex treatments and reported under the complex 3D‑CRT code 77412. In December 2015, the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act (PAMPA) stopped the IMRT and 3D CRT delivery codes from being implemented and prevented reimbursement reductions in the freestanding center setting through calendar year 2019. Although the payment freeze was set to expire on December 31, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has continued to recognize these temporary HCPCS G codes in this setting. We expect all valid delivery codes will be recognized by commercial payers. Other codes are used to report treatment planning, dosimetry, treatment management, and other procedures routinely performed for treating radiosurgery or radiotherapy patients.
Payment
In the United States, the majority of procedures using the CyberKnife, TomoTherapy, and Radixact Systems are performed in the hospital outpatient department. Payment rates under the Medicare fee-for-service methodology are established based on cost data submitted by hospitals. CMS pays separately for ancillary procedures in addition to the delivery of IMRT, 3D CRT, and SRS/SBRT as well as a Comprehensive APC that bundles delivery and some ancillary services for single session cranial radiosurgery.
Payment for treatment with CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms are also available in the freestanding center setting. In 2019, the primary treatment delivery codes for robotic radiosurgery are priced by the regional Medicare Administrative Contractors. In 2021, it is expected the robotic SRS/SBRT delivery codes will remain contractor priced for providers paid under the traditional fee-for-service methodology. Payment rates for IMRT and 3DRT procedures are set by CMS with adjustments to account for geographic market variations. No major cuts by CMS have occurred to IMRT and 3DCRT in the past three years and payment is expected to remain stable through 2021.
In July 2019, CMS released a proposed rule titled Medicare Program; Specialty Care Models to Improve Quality of Care and Reduce Expenditures , which includes a new, alternative payment model for radiation oncology services.
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If finalized as proposed, this rule would significantly alter CMS’ payment methodology fo r radiation oncology services. Specifically, payment would be determined by the patient’s diagnosis and include all radiation oncology services provided within a 90-day period. Providers may be mandatorily required to participate in this model based upon the location where the radiation treatment is provided to the Medicare beneficiary. CMS projects that 40% of the radiation oncology providers will be included in the model and 60% will continue to receive reimbursement based on fee-for-service methodology. If implemented as proposed, CMS anticipates that this model will result in 3-5% savings to the Medicare program.
The federal government reviews and adjust rates annually, and from time to time consider various Medicare and other healthcare reform proposals that could significantly affect both private and public reimbursement for healthcare services, including radiotherapy and radiosurgery, in hospitals and free‑standing clinics. In the past, we have seen our customers’ decision‑making process complicated by the uncertainties surrounding reimbursement rates for radiotherapy and radiosurgery in the United States. State government reimbursement for services is determined pursuant to each state’s Medicaid plan, which is established by state law and regulations, subject to requirements of federal law and regulations.
Foreign Reimbursement
Internationally, reimbursement and healthcare payment systems vary from country to country and include single‑payor, government‑managed systems as well as systems in which private payors and government‑managed systems exist side‑by‑side. In general, the process of obtaining coverage approvals has been slower outside of the United States. Our ability to achieve adoption of our treatment systems, and significant sales volume in international markets, will depend in part on the availability of reimbursement for procedures performed using our products.
Regulatory Matters
Domestic Regulation
Our products and software are medical devices subject to regulation by the FDA, as well as other regulatory bodies. FDA regulations govern the following activities that we perform and will continue to perform to ensure medical products distributed domestically or exported internationally are safe and effective for their intended uses:
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Product design and development;
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Document and purchasing controls;
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Production and process controls;
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Labeling and packaging controls;
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Product storage;
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Recordkeeping;
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Servicing;
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Corrective and preventive action and complaint handling;
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Pre‑market clearance or approval;
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Advertising and promotion; and
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Product sales and distribution.
FDA pre‑market clearance and approval requirements. Unless an exemption applies, each medical device we wish to commercially distribute in the United States will require either 510(k) clearance or pre‑market approval from the FDA. The FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes. Devices deemed to pose lower risks are placed in either class I or II, which requires the manufacturer to submit to the FDA a pre‑market notification requesting permission to commercially distribute the device, known as 510(k) clearance. Some low risk devices are exempted from this requirement. Devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risks, such as life‑sustaining, life‑supporting or implantable devices, or devices deemed not substantially equivalent to a previously cleared 510(k) devices, are placed in class III, requiring pre‑market approval. All of our current products are class II devices requiring 510(k) clearances.
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510(k) clearance pathway. When a 510(k) clearance is required, we must submit a pre‑market notification demonstrating that our proposed device is substantially equivalent to a previously cleared and legally marketed 510(k) device or a device that was in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976 for which the FDA has not yet called for the submission of pre‑market approval applications (PMA). By statute, the FDA has targets to clear or deny a 510(k) pre‑market notification after 90 days of review from submission of the application. Clearance generally takes longer as the FDA may require further information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence.
In January 2002, we received 510(k) clearance for the TomoTherapy Hi Art System intended to be used as an integrated system for the planning and delivery of IMRT for the treatment of cancer. In August 2008, we received 510(k) clearance for our TomoDirect System. In June 2016, we received 510(k) clearance for the Radixact Treatment Delivery Platform. We also received 510(k) clearance for our new treatment planning and data management systems, Accuray Precision Treatment Planning System and iDMS Data Management System. In November 2018, we received 510(k) clearance for Synchrony Motion Synchronization and Real-Time Adaptive Radiotherapy Technology for the Radixact System.
In July 1999, we received 510(k) clearance for the CyberKnife System for use in the head and neck regions of the body. In August 2001, we received 510(k) clearance for the CyberKnife System to provide treatment planning and image guided stereotactic radiosurgery and precision radiotherapy for lesions, tumors and conditions anywhere in the body where radiation treatment is indicated. In April 2002, we received 510(k) clearance for the Synchrony Motion Tracking System as an option to the CyberKnife System, intended to enable dynamic image guided stereotactic radiosurgery and precision radiotherapy of lesions, tumors and conditions that move under influence of respiration. In October 2012, we received 510(k) clearance for the InCise MLC with clearance from the FDA on July 1, 2015.
Pre‑market approval (PMA) pathway. A PMA must be submitted to the FDA if the device is not eligible for the 510(k) clearance process. A PMA must be supported by extensive data including, but not limited to, technical, preclinical, clinical trials, manufacturing and labeling to demonstrate reasonable evidence of the device’s safety and efficacy to the FDA’s satisfaction. Currently, no device we have developed and commercialized has required pre‑market approval.
Product modifications. After a device receives 510(k) clearance or a PMA approval, it may be changed or modified. Any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a significant change in its intended use, will require a new clearance or approval. Regulations provide that the manufacturer initially determines when a specific modification requires notification to FDA. The FDA has issued draft guidance that, if finalized and implemented, will result in manufacturers needing to seek a significant number of new clearances for changes made to legally marketed devices. The FDA reviews the manufacturer’s decision to file a 510(k) or PMA for modifications during facility audits.
We have modified aspects of our CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms since receiving regulatory clearance, and we have applied for and obtained additional 510(k) clearances for these modifications when we determined such clearances were required. The FDA may review our 510(k) filing decision, and can disagree with our initial determination. FDA may take regulatory action from requiring new filings to injunction if it disagrees with our determinations not to seek a new 510(k) clearance or PMA approval for modifications. The FDA reviewed and cleared the most recent versions of the CyberKnife System and TomoTherapy platforms, including the Radixact System, in this fiscal year.
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Pervasive and continuing regulation. After a device is placed on the market, numerous regulatory requirements apply. These include:
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Quality System Regulation (QSR), which require manufacturers, including third‑party manufacturers, to follow stringent design, testing, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during product design and throughout the manufacturing process;
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Labeling regulations and FDA prohibitions against the promotion of products for uncleared, unapproved or off‑label uses; and
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Medical device reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA if their device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur.
The FDA has broad post‑market and regulatory enforcement powers. We are subject to unannounced inspections by the FDA and the Food and Drug Branch of the California Department of Health Services to determine our compliance with the QSR and other regulations, and these inspections may include the manufacturing facilities of some of our subcontractors. Our Madison facility, where we manufacture the finished TomoTherapy and CyberKnife Systems, was most recently inspected by the FDA in August 2017. The August 2017 inspection resulted in no observations. We believe we are in substantial compliance with the QSR. Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can result in enforcement action by the FDA, which may include any of the following sanctions:
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Fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;
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Recall or seizure of our products;
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Operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
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Refusing our requests for 510(k) clearance or pre‑market approval of new products or new intended uses;
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Withdrawing 510(k) clearance or pre‑market approvals that are already granted; and
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Criminal prosecution.
The FDA also has the authority to require us to repair, replace or refund the cost of any medical device that we have manufactured or distributed. If any of these events were to occur, they could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Radiological health. Because our CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platforms contain both laser and X‑ray components, and because we assemble these components during manufacturing and service activities, we are also regulated under the Electronic Product Radiation Control Provisions of the United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This law requires laser and X‑ray products to comply with regulations and applicable performance standards, and manufacturers of these products to certify in product labeling and reports to the FDA that their products comply with all such standards. The law also requires manufacturers to file new product reports, and to file annual reports and maintain manufacturing, testing and sales records, and report product defects. Various warning labels must be affixed. Assemblers of diagnostic X‑ray systems are also required to certify in reports to the FDA, equipment purchasers, and where applicable, to state agencies responsible for radiation protection, that diagnostic and/or therapeutic X‑ray systems they assemble meet applicable requirements. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in enforcement action by the FDA, which can include injunctions, civil penalties, and the issuance of warning letters.
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Fraud and abuse laws. We are subject to various federal and state laws pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including anti ‑kickback laws and physician self ‑referral laws. Violations of these laws are punishable by significant criminal and civil sanctions, including, in some instances, exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. Because of the far ‑reaching nature of these laws, there can be no assurance that we would not be required to alter one or more of our practices to be in compliance with these laws. Evolving interpretations of current laws or the adoption of new federal or state laws or regulations could adversely affect many of the arrangements we have with customers and physicians. In addition, there can be no assurance that the occurrence of one or more violations of these laws or regulations would not result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Anti‑kickback laws. Our operations are subject to broad and changing federal and state anti‑kickback laws. The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (OIG) is primarily responsible for enforcing the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute and generally for identifying fraud and abuse activities affecting government programs. The federal Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or providing remuneration directly or indirectly to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing, recommending, or arranging of a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid. “Remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value, including such items as gifts, discounts, the furnishing of supplies or equipment, credit arrangements, waiver of payments, and providing anything of value at less than fair market value.
Penalties for violating the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute include criminal fines of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five years for each violation, civil monetary penalties, which could result in treble damages plus fines of up to $50,000 for each violation, and possible exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Many states have adopted prohibitions similar to the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute, some of which apply to the referral of patients for healthcare services reimbursed by any source, not only by the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and do not include comparable exceptions.
The OIG has issued safe harbor regulations which set forth certain activities and business relationships that are deemed safe from prosecution under the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute. There are safe harbors for various types of arrangements, including, without limitation, certain investment interests, leases and personal services and management contracts. The failure of a particular activity to comply in all regards with the safe harbor regulations does not mean that the activity violates the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute or that prosecution will be pursued. However, conduct and business arrangements that do not fully satisfy each applicable safe harbor may result in increased scrutiny by government enforcement authorities such as the OIG.
The OIG has identified the following arrangements with purchasers and their agents as ones raising potential risk of violation of the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute:
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Discount and free good arrangements that are not properly disclosed or accurately reported to federal healthcare programs;
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Product support services, including billing assistance, reimbursement consultation and other services specifically tied to support of the purchased product, offered in tandem with another service or program (such as a reimbursement guarantee) that confers a benefit to the purchaser;
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Educational grants conditioned in whole or in part on the purchase of equipment, or otherwise inappropriately influenced by sales and marketing considerations;
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Research funding arrangements, particularly post‑marketing research activities, that are linked directly or indirectly to the purchase of products, or otherwise inappropriately influenced by sales and marketing considerations; and
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Other offers of remuneration to purchasers that are expressly or impliedly related to a sale or sales volume, such as “rebates” and “upfront payments,” other free or reduced‑price goods or services, and payments to cover costs of “converting” from a competitor’s products, particularly where the selection criteria for such offers vary with the volume or value of business generated.
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We have a variety of financial relationships with physicians who are in a position to generate business for us. For example, physicians who own our stock also provide medical advisory and other consulting or collaboration services. Similarly, we have a variety of different types of arrangements with our customers. In the case of our former placement program, certain services and upgrades were provided without additional charge based on procedure volume. In the past, we have also provided loans to our customers. We also provide research or educational grants to customers to support customer studies related to, among other things, our CyberKnife and TomoTherapy platfo rms .
If our past or present operations are found to be in violation of the federal Anti‑Kickback Statute or similar government regulations to which we or our customers are subject, we or our officers may be subject to the applicable penalty associated with the violation, including significant civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, imprisonment, and exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The impact of any such violation may lead to curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Any penalties, damages, fines, or curtailment or restructuring of our operations could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. The risk of our being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that some of these laws are open to a variety of interpretations. Any action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses, divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business and damage our reputation. If an enforcement action were to occur, our reputation and our business and financial condition could be harmed, even if we were to prevail or settle the action. Similarly, if the physicians or other providers or entities with which we do business are found to be non‑compliant with applicable laws, they may be subject to sanctions, which could also have a negative impact on our business.
Transparency laws. The Physician Payment Sunshine Act (the Sunshine Act), which was enacted by Congress as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on December 14, 2011, requires each applicable manufacturer, which includes medical device companies such as Accuray, to track and report to the federal government on an annual basis all payments and other transfers of value from such applicable manufacturer to U.S. licensed physicians and teaching hospitals as well as physician ownership of such applicable manufacturer’s equity, in each case subject to certain statutory exceptions. Such data will be made available by the government on a publicly searchable website. Failure to comply with the data collection and reporting obligations imposed by the Sunshine Act can result in civil monetary penalties ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for each payment or other transfer of value that is not reported (up to a maximum of $150,000 per reporting period) and from $10,000 to $100,000 for each knowing failure to report (up to a maximum of $1 million per reporting period). In addition, we are subject to similar state and foreign laws related to the tracking and reporting of payments and other transfers of value to healthcare professionals. These laws require or will require that we implement the necessary and costly infrastructure to track and report such payments and transfers of value. Failure to comply with these new tracking and reporting laws could subject us to significant civil monetary penalties.
Physician self‑referral laws. We are also subject to federal and state physician self‑referral laws. The federal Ethics in Patient Referrals Act of 1989, commonly known as the Stark Law, prohibits, subject to certain exceptions, physician referrals of Medicare and Medicaid patients to an entity providing certain “designated health services” if the physician or an immediate family member has any financial relationship with the entity. The Stark Law also prohibits the entity receiving the referral from billing any good or service furnished pursuant to an unlawful referral.
In addition, in July 2008, CMS issued a final rule implementing significant amendments to the regulations under the Stark Law. The final rule, which was effective October 1, 2009, imposes additional limitations on the ability of physicians to refer patients to medical facilities in which the physician or an immediate family member has an ownership interest for treatment. Among other things, the rule provides that leases of equipment between physician owners that may refer patients and hospitals must be on a fixed rate, rather than a per use basis. Prior to enactment of the final rule, physician owned entities had increasingly become involved in the acquisition of medical technologies, including the CyberKnife platform. In many cases, these entities entered into arrangements with hospitals that billed Medicare for the furnishing of medical services, and the physician owners were among the physicians who referred patients to the entity for services. The rule limits these arrangements and could require the restructuring of existing arrangements between physicians owned entities and hospitals and could discourage physicians from participating in the acquisition and ownership of medical technologies. The final rule also prohibits percentage‑based compensation in equipment leases. As a result of the finalization of these regulations, some existing CyberKnife platform operators have modified or restructured their corporate or organizational structures. In addition, certain customers that planned to open CyberKnife centers in the United States involving physician
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ownership have restructured their legal ownership structure. Certain entities were not able to establish viable models for CyberKnife platform operation and therefore canceled their CyberKnife platform purchase agreements. Accordingly, these regulations have resulted in cancellations of CyberKnife platform purchase agreements and could also reduce the attractiveness of medical technology acquisitions, including CyberKnife platform purchases, by physician owned joint ventures or similar entities. As a result, these regulations have had, and could continue to have, an adverse impact on our product sales and therefore on our business and results of operations.
A person who engages in a scheme to circumvent the Stark Law’s referral prohibition may be fined up to $100,000 for each such arrangement or scheme. In addition, any person who presents or causes to be presented a claim to the Medicare or Medicaid programs in violations of the Stark Law is subject to civil monetary penalties of up to $15,000 per bill submission, an assessment of up to three times the amount claimed, and possible exclusion from federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Various states have corollary laws to the Stark Law, including laws that require physicians to disclose any financial interest they may have with a healthcare provider to their patients when referring patients to that provider. Both the scope and exceptions for such laws vary from state to state.
Federal False Claims Act. The federal False Claims Act prohibits the knowing filing or causing the filing of a false claim or the knowing use of false statements to obtain payment from the federal government. When an entity is determined to have violated the False Claims Act, it may be required to pay three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus mandatory civil penalties of between $11,181 and $22,363 for each separate false claim. Suits filed under the False Claims Act, known as “qui tam” actions, can be brought by any individual on behalf of the government and such individuals, sometimes known as “relators” or, more commonly, as “whistleblowers,” may share in any amounts paid by the entity to the government in fines or settlement. In addition, certain states have enacted laws modeled after the federal False Claims Act. Qui tam actions have increased significantly in recent years, causing greater numbers of healthcare companies to have to defend a false claim action, pay fines or be excluded from Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state healthcare programs as a result of an investigation arising out of such action. We have retained the services of a reimbursement consultant, for which we pay certain consulting fees, to provide us and facilities that have purchased a CyberKnife or TomoTherapy platform, with general reimbursement advice. While we believe this will assist our customers in filing proper claims for reimbursement, and even though such consultants do not submit claims on behalf of our customers, the fact that we provide these consultant services could expose us to additional scrutiny and possible liability in the event one of our customers is investigated and determined to be in violation of any of these laws.
HIPAA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), created two new federal crimes: healthcare fraud and false statements relating to healthcare matters. The healthcare fraud statute prohibits knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in fines, imprisonment or exclusion from government sponsored programs. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in fines or imprisonment.
As a participant in the healthcare industry, we are also subject to extensive federal and state laws and regulations protecting the privacy and integrity of patient medical information, including privacy and security standards required under HIPAA. The HIPAA privacy standard was amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. HITECH significantly increases the civil money penalties for violations of patient privacy rights protected under HIPAA. Although we are not a covered entity under HIPAA, we have entered into agreements with certain covered entities under which we are considered to be a “business associate” under HIPAA. As a business associate, we are required to implement policies, procedures and reasonable and appropriate security measures to protect individually identifiable health information we receive from covered entities. Furthermore, business associates are directly subject to regulations under HIPAA including the new enforcement scheme, criminal and civil penalties for certain violations, and inspection requirements.
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Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The United States and foreign government regulators have increased regulation, enforcement, inspections and governmental investigations of the medical device industry, including increased United States government oversight and enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Whenever the United States or another foreign governmental authority concludes that we are not in compliance with applicable laws or regulations, such governmental authority can impose fines, delay or suspend regulatory clearances, institute proceedings to detain or seize our products, issue a recall, impose operating restrictions, enjoin future violations and assess civil penalties against us or our officers or employees, and can recommend criminal prosecution to the Department of Justice. Moreover, governmental authorities can ban or request the recall, repair, replacement or refund of the cost of any device or product we manufacture or distribute. In addition, our third party agents in foreign countries can also subject us to prosecution under Foreign Corrupt Practices Act . We are also subject to the UK Bribery Act, which could also lead to the imposition of civil and criminal fines and other similar anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws . Any of the foregoing actions could result in decreased sales as a result of negative publicity and product liability claims, and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
International Regulation
International sales of medical devices are subject to foreign government regulations, which vary substantially from country to country. The time required to obtain clearance or approval by a foreign country may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA clearance or approval, and the requirements are often different.
The primary regulatory environment in Europe is that of the European Union and the three additional member states of the European Economic Area (EEA), which have adopted similar laws and regulations with respect to medical devices. The European Union has adopted numerous directives and the European Committee for Standardization has promulgated standards regulating the design, manufacture, clinical trials, labeling and adverse event reporting for medical devices. Devices that comply with the requirements of the relevant directive will be entitled to bear CE conformity marking, indicating that the device conforms to the essential requirements of the applicable directives and, accordingly, may be commercially distributed throughout the member states of the EEA.
The method of assessing conformity to applicable standards and directives depends on the type and class of the product, but normally involves a combination of self‑assessment by the manufacturer and a third‑party assessment by a notified body, an independent and neutral institution appointed by a European Union member state to conduct the conformity assessment. This relevant assessment may consist of an audit of the manufacturer’s quality system (currently ISO 13485), provisions of the Medical Devices Directive, and specific testing of the manufacturer’s device. Our facilities were first awarded the ISO 13485 certification in September 2002 and has been subsequently maintained through periodic assessments, and we are currently authorized to affix the CE mark to our products, allowing us to sell our products throughout the European Economic Area. The Medical Device Regulation (MDR) came into effect in the European Union in May 2021. We are required to obtain certification against the MDR to CE mark new products or to make significant changes to existing products. There are fewer notified bodies authorized under the MDR to qualify businesses and products. This may result in additional time for initial product reviews and to obtain authorization to apply the CE mark.
We are also currently subject to regulations in Japan. Under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law in Japan, a pre‑market approval necessary to sell, market and import a product (Shonin) must be obtained from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), for our products. A Japanese distributor received the first government approval to market the CyberKnife System from MHLW in November 1996. We received and maintain Shonin approval from MHLW for CyberKnife Treatment Delivery Systems, M6 Series with InCise MLC, TomoTherapy Treatment Delivery Systems, Radixact Treatment Delivery Systems, and associated Precision and iDMS software products.
Additionally, our products are subject to regulations in China. The China Supervision and Regulation of Medical Devices (No. 680) requires licensing from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to market, sell, and import our product type. The NMPA licenses require testing by the Beijing Institute for Medical Devices Testing (BIMT) specifically related to China variations of global safety and performance standards. We received and maintain NMPA licenses for various configurations of Radixact Treatment Delivery Systems, CyberKnife
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Treatment Delivery Systems, TomoTherapy Treatment Delivery Systems, and associated Precision and iDMS software products.
We are subject to additional regulations in other foreign countries, including, but not limited to, Canada, Taiwan, Korea, and Russia in order to sell our products. We expect that either we or our distributors will receive any necessary approvals or clearance prior to marketing our products in those international markets.
State Certificate of Need Laws
In some states, a certificate of need or similar regulatory approval is required prior to the acquisition of high‑cost capital items or the provision of new services. These laws generally require appropriate state agency determination of public need and approval prior to the acquisition of such capital items or addition of new services. Certificate of need regulations may preclude our customers from acquiring one of our systems, and from performing stereotactic radiosurgery procedures using one of our systems. Several of our prospective customers currently are involved in appeals of certificate of need determinations. If these appeals are not resolved in favor of these prospective customers, they may be precluded from purchasing and/or performing services using one of our systems. Certificate of need laws are the subject of continuing legislative activity, and a significant increase in the number of states regulating the acquisition and use of one of our systems through certificate of need or similar programs could adversely affect us.
Backlog
For a discussion of our fiscal 2021 backlog, please refer to the section entitled “Backlog,” in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Employees and Human Capital Resources
Our employees are critical to the success of our business. As of June 30, 2021, we had 995 full-time employees, including 380 employees employed outside of the United States. We also engage part-time employees and independent contractors to supplement our workforce. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We have never experienced any employment related work stoppages and we believe our relationship with our employees is good.
Our human capital resources objectives include recruiting, retaining, training, and motivating our personnel. The principal purposes of our incentive compensation policies are to attract, retain, and reward personnel through the granting of equity-based and cash-based compensation awards, in order to increase stockholder value and the success of our company by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives. We strive to foster a diverse and inclusive culture and environment which encourages active dialogue and robust engagement on the issues most salient to employee satisfaction and believe our employees are empowered to play a significant role in shaping the direction and success of the company.
Geographic Information
For financial reporting purposes, net sales and long‑lived assets attributable to significant geographic areas are presented in Note 17, Segment Disclosure, to the consolidated financial statements, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Available Information
Our main corporate website address is www.accuray.com . We make available on this website, free of charge, copies of our annual reports on Form 10‑K, quarterly reports on Form 10‑Q, current reports on Form 8‑K and our proxy statements, and any amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material electronically or otherwise furnishing it to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC. All SEC filings are also available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
We also use our investor relations website as a channel of distribution for important company information. For example, webcasts of our earnings calls and certain events we participate in or host with members of the investment community are on our investor relations website. Additionally, we announce investor information, including news
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and commentary about our business and financial performance, SEC filings, notices of investor events, and our press and earnings releases, on our investor relations website. Investors and others can receive notifications of new information posted on our investor relations website in real time by signing up for email alerts and RSS feeds. Further corporate governance information, including our corporate governance guidelines, board committee charters, and code of conduct, is also available on our investor relations website under the heading “Governance.” The contents of our websites are not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to our websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.
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