IBA to install proton therapy centre in  Tennessee

3 Nov 2010

Belgian company IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) has been awarded a contract by ProVision Trust and The Proton Therapy Center, LLC (TPTC) for the installation of a proton therapy facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.

This project, subject to financing, includes the supply and installation of a proton therapy facility consisting of two isocentric gantry treatment rooms, a fixed beam treatment room and a research room. In addition, it has been agreed that IBA will provide to the centre operation and maintenance services for a period of 10 years. The contract represents total revenues of US$70 to 80 million for IBA over the term of the agreement.

TPTC will be located at the East Tennessee Healthcare Center (ETHC). ETHC provides comprehensive, innovative care to patients in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases. TPTC’s primary clinical partners will be the University of Tennessee Medical Center, the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Tennessee Cancer Specialists and the Knoxville Comprehensive Breast Center.

“We are proud to collaborate with ProVision in making proton therapy accessible to more cancer patients in the United States. We are honoured to take part in this important project. In an effort to develop proton therapy even further, the installation of this new center will be accompanied by joint efforts in R&D and the operation of a training centre,” said Pierre Mottet, Chief Executive Officer of IBA.

Terry D Douglass PhD, President of ProVision and TPTC, added, “We have an opportunity here to develop a world-class comprehensive clinical and research cancer centre with proton therapy as the primary treatment modality. Thanks to IBA, we will be able to offer this state-of-the-art therapy to our region and even to the country as early as 2013. We are also excited about the agreement to partner with IBA in joint R&D, the training centre, and other opportunities of mutual interest.”

To date, IBA has been selected to install 20 proton therapy centres of which 16 are firm orders which represent more than half of the clinical-based Proton Therapy facilities in the world.

Proton therapy is considered the most advanced and targeted cancer treatment due to its superior dose distribution and fewer side effects. Protons deposit the majority of their effective energy within a precisely controlled range, directly within the tumour and, even better, spare healthy surrounding tissue. Higher doses can be delivered to the tumour without increasing the risk of side effects and long term complications, thereby improving outcome and quality of life for patients. Unfortunately, very few patients can yet benefit from this type of treatment around the world.