Ion Beam Applications : IBA and the Beaumont Hospital’s Cancer Institute in Royal Oak, Michigan announce partnership to develop the next generation proton therapy delivery technique

IBA and the Beaumont Hospital's Cancer Institute in Royal Oak, Michigan announce partnership to develop the next generation proton therapy delivery technique.

Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, September 25th 2017 - IBA (Ion Beam Applications SA), the world's leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, is pleased to announce the research agreement with Beaumont's Proton Therapy Center to develop the next generation proton therapy delivery technique called scanned proton arc therapy (SPArc).Proton arc therapy has the possibility to further improve the quality of the treatment by enhancing the dose conformity at the tumor level while reducing the total dose received by the patient. By better shaping the tumor dose it can further reduce dose to critical organs. In addition, arc therapy technique increases the robustness of the treatment plan, and may further improve the adoption of dose escalation and hypo-fractionation. This agreement is the first step in a long-standing partnership started several years ago.

Craig Stevens, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, Radiation Oncology, Beaumont Health, commented: 'Beaumont Hospital has been leading the research in radiotherapy for decades, and we are proud and eager to start working on such an innovative project with IBA. The level of expertise combined will bring proton therapy to the next level.Proton arc therapy has been contemplated for some time, and recent improvements in beam quality and delivery are enabling us to develop this clinically viable product. Proton SPArc therapy should allow us to improve dose conformity at the tumor, while further reducing dose to surrounding healthy tissue without the need for cumbersome and expensive beam shaping systems.'

Nicolas Bronchart, Executive Vice President, Research & Development Proton Therapy, added: 'IBA is once again pushing the limit of proton therapy and together with Beaumont's Proton Therapy Center we will bring a technology that could offer further benefits for patients. The initial development will take place on our compact IMPT* system, the Proteus®ONE, but IBA's strategy has always been to offer break-through advancements to our entire product line. IBA's proton therapy systems are built on the most versatile platform allowing for future upgrades and making IBA a future proof choice.'

* Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy