Adaptiiv Medical Technologies Inc.

Fighting the good fight: Halifax-based med tech company stacking odds in cancer patients’ favour 

“Mission critical” takes on a whole new sense of urgency when lives are at stake.

Alex Dunphy understands this well. It’s at the heart of his company’s drive to produce life-saving medical devices to assist patients around the world undergoing radiation therapy to battle cancer.

The Halifax-based CEO and co-founder of Adaptiiv Medical Technologies Inc. (Adaptiiv) has harnessed his vision and created the world’s first FDA-approved 3D printing software that designs accessories to help target radiation specific areas. This increases the effectiveness of treatments while at the same time protecting the surrounding tissue from damage.

It has been quite a rewarding journey for the company, which was incorporated in 2016. The technology is gaining a foothold in international markets and is making a difference in the treatment of cancer. Approximately 40% of cures include radiotherapy in the treatment plan, and 25% of radiotherapy accessories are expected to make use of 3D printing.

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) recognized the value in the company early, partnering with them first in 2018 to develop a commercial prototype of its software and to obtain medical industry certifications. The following year Adaptiiv focused its attention on a targeted marketing campaign to increase global sales.

In 2023, the company pivoted to launch Adaptiiv On-Demand, an FDA cleared 510(k) platform as a service to enable cancer centres to order medical devices rather than fabricate in house. The on-demand platform is powered by HP and provides access to best in class industrial manufacturing ultimately enabling the required precision to truly personalize healthcare. Additional ACOA support helped expand Adaptiiv’s sales staff, clinical and technical specialists to support in-house manufacturing, and regulatory clearances. Assistance from partner HP also helped the med tech company expand its digital manufacturing capability.

“Adaptiiv-On-Demand is beginning to see growth and I believe it’s in large part due to the ACOA support,” explains Dunphy. “Investments in hiring critical sales and marketing staff ahead of the on-demand program launch enabled our growth much sooner by creating awareness in the US market. The funding also supported our ability to bring manufacturing in-house ahead of schedule by having our facility regulated by the FDA.”

Delivering a medical device to a customer in three to five days is life altering. If a cancer device is late, the patient’s ability to begin critical treatment is also delayed.

To show how it’s making a difference, Dunphy points to the example of a nine-month-old child in Puerto Rico who required internal radiation therapy. His medical team approached Adaptiiv to make a device to help guide the treatment. The end result? The company was recently provided with images of a healthy three-year-old child, smiling and laughing in a room surrounded by balloons, as well as a note of gratitude from the attending physician.

These homegrown medical solutions are important to Dunphy, who considers Halifax home, and credits a highly skilled pool of talent and a supportive med tech and innovation ecosystem as reasons why his company is thriving in Nova Scotia.

“ACOA funding has enabled us to quickly expand our market offering by supporting hires who are developing new services and solutions,” he says. “These will enable us to accelerate adoption with cancer centres globally to scale our business. That means we can ultimately reach patients sooner to receive the benefits of personalized medical devices all over the world.”