ViewRay, a privately held medical device company, announced that it has entered into an exclusive distributor agreement with ITOCHU Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange TYO: 8001) to sell its MRI-guided radiation therapy system for the treatment of cancer in Japan. ViewRay's technology, the MRIdian (me-rid-i-an) system, is the world's first and only MRI-guided radiation therapy system that images and treats cancer patients simultaneously.

ITOCHU is one of the three largest general trading companies in Japan and has a global presence in a broad spectrum of industries, including machinery, textile, food, energy, healthcare and information technology. ITOCHU has been focusing on the healthcare business to promote important medical innovations in Japan for approximately 40 years.

"We are delighted to announce our partnership with ITOCHU," said Chris A. Raanes, President and CEO of ViewRay Incorporated. "ITOCHU has a history of over 150 years in Japan, the second largest single-country market for radiation therapy systems in the world. Through our partnership with ITOCHU, we look forward to making the benefits of our breakthrough technology widely available to Japanese physicians and patients over the next few years."

The MRIdian system is designed to improve the accuracy of cancer treatments through a patented combination of simultaneous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and radiation therapy delivery. With continuous soft-tissue imaging, clinicians can more clearly see the cancer target, monitor where the actual radiation dose is being delivered, and adapt to changes in the patient's anatomy all in real time, providing a more precise and personalised cancer treatment option.

Initial interest in MRI-guided radiation therapy is already growing in Japan following the December 2014 annual JASTRO meeting where former ASTRO president, Michael Steinberg, MD, presented on the advanced capabilities of the technology to over 250 of his peers.

"We are very pleased and excited to partner with ViewRay," said Koichi Kato, General Manager of ITOCHU Corporation, Healthcare Business Department. "With a large aging population, the number of patients suffering from cancer is increasing every year. We strongly believe ViewRay's MRIdian system can support every effort of physicians and patients to fight against cancer with its unique MRI-guided radiation therapy technology."