LOUVAIN-LA-NEUVE, BELGIUM, 3 December 2009 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) announces today that ATreP (Agenzia Provinciale Per la Protonterapia) has signed a contract with IBA for the installation of a proton therapy center for the Province of Trento. It will be the first gantry-equipped proton therapy center installed in Italy. The signature of this contract proves that IBA can offer to its partners attractive tailor-made financing solutions.
This is the end of a rigorous public selection process. IBA will provide AtreP with the construction, the installation and the technical operation during 15 years of the first gantry-equipped proton therapy-dedicated center in Italy – in the future hospital of Trento. Clinical operations will be performed by and under the responsibility of ATreP and the first patient to be treated is planned in 2013.
It will include the latest technologies developed by IBA. For instance, clinicians will be able to deliver the Pencil Beam Scanning treatment mode for the benefit of their patients. In the future, this center will allow treating up to 1000 patients a year, in routine operation.
Proton therapy is increasingly considered as the ultimate radiotherapy for cancer due to its superior dose distribution. Protons deposit the majority of their effective energy within a precisely controlled range, directly within the tumor, and better spare healthy surrounding tissue. Higher doses can be delivered to the tumor without increasing the risks of side effects and long term complications, improving outcomes and quality of life for patients. Unfortunately, very few patients can yet benefit from this type of treatment around the world.
IBA is continuing its efforts to make Particle Therapy available worldwide. Concretely, as of today six proton therapy centers, built by IBA, are treating patients every day in the USA and Asia. Beside them, IBA manages the simultaneous construction and installation of eight additional proton therapy centers: one being under construction at the factory, while the seven others are currently being installed on the customer sites – four in the USA and three in Europe. All projects are on schedule.
About IBA
IBA develops and markets leading edge technologies, pharmaceuticals and tailor-made solutions for healthcare with a focus on cancer diagnosis and therapy Leveraging on its scientific expertise, IBA is also active in the field of industrial sterilization and ionization.