Amsterdam, the Netherlands - June 30, 2017 -- Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Profound Medical Corp. (TSXV: PRN, OTCQX: PRFMF) to deepen the existing collaboration and increase the scale of its MR-guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) business. As part of the agreement, Philips’ MR-HIFU business will be transferred to Profound, a leader in MR-guided ultrasound ablation therapies, while Philips will obtain a minority interest in Profound.

Philips’ Sonalleve MR-HIFU is a therapeutic device that is used in conjunction with real-time MR imaging and thermometry to enable focused, non-invasive ablation of diseased tissue. Sonalleve is CE-marked for the treatment of uterine fibroids and palliative pain treatment of bone metastases. Philips will continue to distribute Sonalleve for use in combination with its Philips Ingenia and Achieva MR imaging systems, and Philips will provide additional services to Profound including manufacturing of the MR-HIFU table and installation services. Philips is already non-exclusively distributing Profound’s TULSA-PRO® system, which is specifically designed for MR-guided prostate tissue ablation procedures.

“We strive to provide clinicians with a broad portfolio of targeted therapy solutions for the treatment of complex diseases such as cancer,” said Rob Cascella, Chief Business Leader Diagnosis and Treatment at Royal Philips. “We recognize the broader value MR-guided HIFU therapies can bring to clinicians and their patients, and we appreciate Profound’s strengths in the area of MR-guided ultrasound ablation therapy. We believe that the increased scale of the business as a result of the transfer of Philips’ MR-HIFU activities to Profound and the resulting enhanced close collaboration will accelerate the development of new clinical applications for this promising technology, while better serving the needs of our current and future MR-HIFU customers.”


“This agreement with Philips is in line with our commitment to invest in the powerful combination of real-time MR-guidance as the imaging platform and ultrasound as the energy source for delivering non-invasive ablative technology to clinicians and their patients,” said Dr. Arun Menawat, CEO at Profound. “At Profound, we envision a world where patients can undergo clinically effective procedures and return quickly to their normal lives. By leveraging MR-guidance and ultrasound to deliver incision-free, personalized, precise and cost-effective therapeutic solutions, I believe we are well on our way to realize that vision.”

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