Varian: Radiotherapy Giant

Varian Medical Systems, now a part of Siemens Healthineers, is a leading global provider of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other conditions. They offer a comprehensive suite of solutions including radiotherapy, brachytherapy, proton therapy, and radiosurgery. Varian also specializes in X-ray imaging components for various medical, scientific, and industrial applications, including cargo screening. Their mission is to create an oncology ecosystem that supports care providers across the entire cancer care journey, working towards a world without the fear of cancer.

What Is The Origin Story Of Varian?

Varian Medical Systems, now operating as a part of Siemens Healthineers, is a prominent global supplier of medical equipment and software for treating cancer and other conditions. Its comprehensive offerings include solutions for radiotherapy, brachytherapy, proton therapy, and radiosurgery. Beyond its oncology focus, Varian also stands as the leading independent provider of X-ray tubes and digital flat-panel X-ray image detectors, utilized in various medical, scientific, and industrial filmless imaging applications. Additionally, Varian’s high-energy X-ray imaging technology is integral to cargo screening and non-destructive testing systems.

The company, initially known as Varian Associates, was founded in Palo Alto in 1948 by brothers Russell and Sigurd Varian, along with Stanford University researchers. Early innovations included the klystron tube, fundamental to radar and microwave communication, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, which advanced molecular research. The company diversified over time, developing analytical instruments, vacuum products, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

In 1999, following the divestment of its instrument and semiconductor divisions, the company was rebranded as Varian Medical Systems. This strategic shift focused its multinational efforts on products for radiotherapy, radiosurgery, and X-ray imaging. By 2006, the company reported over $1.6 billion in sales and employed more than 4,200 individuals across 56 global sales and support offices, as well as manufacturing and R&D facilities in countries including Canada, China, England, Finland, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the U.S. Varian’s cancer treatment technology is used to treat over 100,000 patients daily worldwide.

Their high-performance products encompass linear accelerators and software for patient information management, treatment planning, verification, delivery, and quality assurance.

source: https://www.medmuseum.siemens-healthineers.com/en

Varian Today

Varian Medical Systems, now operating as part of Siemens Healthineers, is a global leader in providing advanced medical equipment and software. They focus on treating cancer and other medical conditions using a range of therapies, including radiotherapy, brachytherapy, proton therapy, and radiosurgery.

Beyond cancer treatment, Varian is also a top independent supplier of X-ray tubes and digital flat-panel X-ray image detectors, which are vital for medical, scientific, and industrial imaging without film. Their high-energy X-ray imaging technology is also used for cargo screening and non-destructive testing systems.

Varian’s mission, now unified with Siemens Healthineers, is to create a comprehensive oncology ecosystem that supports healthcare providers throughout the entire cancer care continuum, ultimately working towards a world free from the fear of cancer.

Varian Leadership Team

Here is a list of the key individuals on Varian’s leadership team:

• Arthur Kaindl: Head of Varian
• Matthias Platsch: Executive Vice President, Head of Finance
• Stephanie Cao: Head of Human Resources, Varian
• Kathy Conner: Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Communications, & Insights
• Francis R. Facchini, M.D.: President, Interventional Solutions
• Gabriel Haras, M.D.: President, Head of Cancer Therapy Imaging
• Stephen W. Jamison: President, Proton Solutions
• Deepak “Dee” Khuntia, M.D.: Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer
• Steve Leonard: Head of Customer Services
• Noor Malki: Senior Vice President, Head of Quality
• Hideaki Mori: President, Varian Asia Pacific & Japan
• Sasa Mutic, Ph.D., FAAPM: President, Radiation Oncology Solutions
• Brett Nagy: Head of Americas
• Christine Qian: Head of China
• Virve Sarja: Head of EMEA
• Peter Shen: Head of Sales Operations
• Ashley Smith: President, Digital Oncology
• Julie Wong: Vice President & General Counsel

Reasearch And Education

The Varian Research Grants Program actively supports over a hundred research initiatives. These projects aim to foster new ideas, gather clinical evidence on the benefits of radiation therapy, and analyze emerging trends in the field. Applications are reviewed year-round by a dedicated Grant Review Committee. Proposals are evaluated based on their alignment with Varian’s strategic goals, their originality, cost-effectiveness, potential for disruption, and how well they fit into the existing portfolio of research grants.

Strong applications are clearly written, detailing objectives, methodologies, milestones, and deliverables, with funding being competitive. If a proposal is approved, a formal Research Agreement is established, outlining terms related to intellectual property, clinical responsibilities, confidentiality, budget, payment schedules, and progress reporting, with the project commencing only after this agreement is finalized.

In parallel, the Varian Global Medical Education Grant Program is dedicated to supporting the ongoing learning objectives of healthcare professionals, ultimately enhancing patient care. This includes backing both accredited and non-accredited programs focused on medical science, disease awareness, treatment education, and continuing medical education (CME).

Varian considers requests for financial assistance from qualified third-party educators, catering to healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and patient advocacy groups. To be eligible for support, programs must align with Varian’s mission, focus on educating healthcare stakeholders, and must not offer any promotional benefit or monetary value in return for the grant. Recipients are required to disclose Varian’s support, and grants cannot be linked to sales or used to improperly influence business. Certain activities, such as requests outside Varian’s business interests, those from individual healthcare professionals or commercial organizations, and support for individual travel expenses, are not eligible.

Varian also specifically supports Clinical Fellowship Funding for programs sponsored by teaching institutions, hospitals, or medical societies that demonstrate a genuine commitment to advancing education and research in areas relevant to Varian. These fellowships are awarded based on the program’s merits and available funding. Applicants for educational grants and fellowships should submit their requests with comprehensive documentation, including a formal letter of request, event details (if applicable), tax status confirmation, and budget, well in advance of the program start date—at least 45 days for US applicants and 60 days for non-US applicants.

European applicants, as part of Medtech Europe, must also ensure their third-party educational events are registered and positively assessed by the Conference Vetting System (CVS) at least 60 days prior to the event. Varian emphasizes that all educational grant procedures comply with strict guidelines and policies, including U.S. Federal Sunshine Act (Open Payments) and similar transparency laws, with all reporting conducted in accordance with applicable regulations. All applicants are notified of their application status via email, and awards are processed through the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

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Written By Aren Karapetyan, MD