Siemens Healthineers has been selected for a federal research award of up to $60 million from the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to support development of photon-based Flash radiotherapy, an experimental approach that delivers radiation at ultrahigh dose rates.

The Erlangen, Germany-based company said it will contribute an additional $23 million over five years, bringing the total project investment to as much as $83 million.

Flash radiotherapy delivers radiation doses more than 100 times faster than conventional methods. Early research suggests it may reduce damage to surrounding healthy tissue while maintaining tumor control, though the approach remains investigational. Most Flash studies to date have focused on proton and electron systems, which can face limitations related to cost and availability.
The project will focus on adapting photon-based Flash therapy for use on conventional linear accelerators, which are widely installed in cancer centers. Radiotherapy is used in more than half of cancer cases, and photon beams remain the most common modality, making them a potential pathway for broader adoption if technical hurdles can be addressed.

“This investment from ARPA-H strengthens our efforts to explore the potential of photon Flash therapy and to widen the possibilities for patients who may one day benefit from it,” said Arthur Kaindl, head of Varian at Siemens Healthineers. “By building on the extensive installed base of C-arm linear accelerators, we aim to speed potential adoption and enable broader access as this work progresses. Our hope is to help bring promising innovations within reach of more patients and more communities around the world.”

Industry groups noted the significance of the award for radiation oncology research. “The radiation oncology community is at the forefront of cancer care, and this ARPA-H award — a milestone as the first for our field — recognizes our specialty’s unique ability to safely and effectively treat cancer,” said Sameer R. Keole, M.D., chair of the American Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology board of directors.

Matthias Guckenberger, M.D., president of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, said the funding addresses a long-standing gap in radiotherapy research investment and could support development of new treatment approaches.

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