ECKERT & ZIEGLER BG 
By
February 18, 2011
Seneffe - Belgium, February 18, 2011, IBt Bebig (Reuters: IBTH.BR - Bloomberg: IBTB BB) announced today that it had unveiled its new MultiSource® HDR (High Dose Rate) Afterloader at the International HDR Brachytherapy Meeting in Pattaya, Thailand (February 18-20, 2011).
HDR brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy in which the cancer is treated by irradiation at a short distance. Catheters are placed in or close to the tumor, and a computer-guided afterloader moves a miniaturized radioactive source, attached to a cable, step by step along each catheter. By pre-specifying the dwell time at each step, the operator controls radiation delivery precisely, and a very high dose of localized radiation can be delivered to the tumor cells without damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Because of the high dose rate, treatment times are very short, and most patients can be treated under mild sedation in only a few outpatient sessions. The reduced number of treatment sessions noticeably increases patient compliance and quality of life. It represents an especially important advantage in developing countries, where patients often have to travel long distances for treatment.
IBt Bebig's new MultiSource® HDR Afterloader can use either an Iridium-192 or a Cobalt-60 source. Because the half-life of Co-60 is 26 times longer than that of Ir-192, a Co-60 source only has to be replaced every four to five years, reducing costs as well problems associated with customs clearance, maintenance, and disposal. Yet Co-60 delivers equal therapeutic benefit. The miniaturized high-activity Co-60 source is a proprietary product of IBt Bebig.
The new MultiSource® HDR Afterloader allows up to 40 treatment channels, making it possible to treat extended tumor volumes, and offers channel coding for even greater treatment safety. It is ideally suited for gynecological cancers, prostate, breast, esophageal and lung cancers, and certain cancers of the head and neck.
According to the World Health Organization, cancer rates will continue to rise. More than 70 percent of all cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. One reason for this grim death toll is the high cost of conventional external beam therapy equipment. Investments for brachytherapy are much lower. When used with Co-60, the new MultiSource® HDR Afterloader reduces operating costs by up to 80 percent compared to an Ir-192 system.
IBt Bebig Managing Director Dr. Edgar Löffler commented, "We chose to invite some one hundred recognized experts to Thailand to discuss the use of HDR brachytherapy because Asia is one of the primary future markets for such equipment. IBt Bebig is the only company offering a multiple-source HDR afterloader uniquely suited to the demand in developing countries. With our proprietary Co-60 MultiSource® HDR Afterloader, we offer a cost-effective solution in the fight against cancer. We have already installed over 170 MultiSource® systems worldwide, and more than 20,000 patients were treated with our systems in 2010."
The new brochure can be downloaded at http://www.ibt-bebig.eu/en/products.html:
http://www.ibt-bebig.eu/en/products.html.
About IBt Bebig
. Contributing to saving lives!
IBt Bebig is a European-based group active in the medical device sector of the health care industry.
Its core business is the treatment of cancer by brachytherapy, a special form of radiotherapy. IBt Bebig is a leader in brachytherapy in Europe and is headquartered in Belgium. It has a production facility in Germany and subsidiaries throughout Europe, as well as in India. IBt Bebig has also established a worldwide network of distributors and agents to support its product line.
The company's products and equipment are intended for use by oncologists, radiologists, urologists, and medical physicists.
IBt Bebig employs more than 150 people. It has been listed on the Euronext stock exchange since April 1997 (Reuters: IBTH.BR - Bloomberg: IBTB BB).
Contact
Paul-Emmanuel Goethals
Head of Investor Relations & Communication
Tel.: +32 64 520 808
Email: ir@ibt-bebig.eu:
mailto:ir@ibt-bebig.eu
Internet: www.ibt-bebig.eu:
http://www.ibt-bebig.eu/
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(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the
information contained therein.
Source: IBt Bebig via Thomson Reuters ONE
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