IMGT Starts Confirmatory Pancreatic Cancer Trial

The U.S. study tests whether focused ultrasound combined with chemotherapy improves survival for patients with borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Cancer

Photograph of a gray focused-ultrasound transducer array on an articulated arm beside an empty clinical treatment table under soft daylight. — IMGT has enrolled its first patient in the U.S. SonoPAN III trial testing focused ultrasound plus chemotherapy against chemotherapy alone for pancreatic cancer. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

IMGT, a medical device company specializing in therapeutic focused ultrasound, has begun a confirmatory clinical trial of its pancreatic cancer device in the United States. The company completed first patient enrollment for the SonoPAN III trial at the University of Virginia.

Why it matters

The trial follows an initial study in South Korea and is intended to support obtaining U.S. FDA approval for the IMD10 device. Its primary endpoint is overall survival, a central measure for patients with difficult-to-treat pancreatic cancer.

The confirmatory trial enrolls 366 people with borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer, building on a prior 30-person randomized exploratory study at Seoul National University Hospital. Results on overall survival are not yet available, and the trial's findings remain unknown.

The players

IMGT

IMGT is a medical device company specializing in therapeutic focused ultrasound technology for treating cancer.

University of Virginia

The University of Virginia is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the site of first patient enrollment in the SonoPAN III trial.

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit academic medical center headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota, participating in the U.S. trial.

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Brigham and Women's Hospital is a major teaching hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School in Boston, participating in the U.S. trial.

The details

The IMD10 device temporarily increases cell membrane permeability using the mechanical action of microbubbles induced by focused ultrasound, intended to enhance delivery of anticancer drugs into tumors. The randomized trial compares FOLFIRINOX monotherapy against FOLFIRINOX combined with the IMD10 device, with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Mayo Clinic participating alongside the University of Virginia in the U.S.

November 5, 2026: IMGT completed first patient enrollment at the University of Virginia.

Clinical Landscape

The trial measures the IMD10 device against FOLFIRINOX monotherapy, the chemotherapy regimen used as the comparator for patients with borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Its success would add a device-based approach to an existing chemotherapy standard rather than replacing it.

Patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic cancer may eventually have access to a focused ultrasound option alongside chemotherapy if the trial succeeds. The trial's outcome will determine whether the device is approved for use and how it fits into treatment decisions.

The takeaway

Patients considering pancreatic cancer treatment should ask their oncologists whether clinical trials such as this one are available at their center. Enrollment in a trial can provide access to emerging therapies while outcome data is still being collected.