Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Cardiff, UK, 30th January 2016 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT: IBAB), the world’s leading provider of proton therapy solutions, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG AEX: PHIA), a leader in health technology, and Proton Partners International, a company at the vanguard of advancing proton beam therapy in the UK, today announced that they will be collaborating to build the first compact proton therapy system in the Middle East. The proton therapy center will be part of a large existing hospital – the Gulf International Cancer Center.

The proton therapy center will be the first compact proton therapy solution to be sold and installed in the Middle East region. The contract (announced in September 2016) covers the delivery of the Proteus®ONE* equipment, including Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) and Cone Beam CT (CBCT) capabilities, making it the compact solution best suited for Adaptive Treatment. The contract also includes a maintenance agreement. The typical end-user price for a Proteus®ONE solution with a maintenance contract is between EUR 35 and 40 million. This project is part of a framework agreement signed by IBA and Philips in September 2014 to advance the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

IBA and Philips offer unique integrated solutions for proton therapy and molecular imaging centers. Together with Proton Partners International, they are currently installing state-of-the-art proton therapy systems in three compact proton therapy centers in the UK, with two additional centers in plan, and one compact center in the Middle East. Depending on the project, the installed solution can include IBA’s proton therapy solutions, such as the Proteus®ONE and Proteus®PLUS*, and Philips’ imaging and clinical informatics solutions, such as Philips’ Big Bore CT and PET CT systems and Philips’ Pinnacle3 Treatment Planning System. IBA, Philips and PPI have collaborated on projects since 2014 to provide advanced diagnostic and therapeutic oncology solutions.

“We are all pleased to strengthen and accelerate the strategic partnership between our companies to give more patients access to proton therapy across the globe,” said Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer at IBA. “All the achievements reached during the last three years demonstrate the benefit of the relationship between the two organizations in staying at the forefront of innovation in cancer treatment.”

“Our aim in oncology is to improve patient outcomes and enhance quality of life, combined with the best possible patient experience,” said Ronald de Jong, Chief Market Leader at Royal Philips. “With our combined technologies and services for informed, confident decision making, imaging, precision planning and targeted patient-specific therapy, IBA and Philips can help to make this possible. We are delighted with the progress we have made in bringing advanced proton therapy to more people. We look forward to continuing our joint innovation efforts and making a real difference in cancer care.”

“Proton Partners is delighted to be partnering with IBA and Royal Philips in bringing innovative proton beam therapy to the Middle East” said Mike Moran, Chief Executive Officer of Proton Partners International. “We are the UK’s leading developer of proton beam therapy facilities and we are currently developing three centers across the UK, with two others being planned. Our long-term vision is to build seven UK centers and five international centers which will make Proton Partners the world’s largest operator of proton beam therapy.

“We are now fully established in the Gulf International Cancer Center in Abu Dhabi. Conventional treatments are currently on offer, such as chemotherapy, traditional radiotherapy, diagnostics and counselling, and we expect proton beam therapy to be available from January 2019. Cancer incidence is rising dramatically globally and more innovation is needed to deal with this disease. We envisage this development will put the UAE in the frontline of cancer treatment and research and look forward to building on our strong relationship with IBA and Royal Philips.”

*Proteus®ONE and Proteus®PLUS are the brand names of the Proteus®235.


About IBA
IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) is a global medical technology company focused on bringing integrated and innovative solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The company is the worldwide technology leader in the field of proton therapy, considered to be the most advanced form of radiation therapy available today. IBA’s proton therapy solutions are flexible and adaptable, allowing customers to choose from universal full-scale proton therapy centers as well as compact, single room solution. In addition, IBA also has a radiation dosimetry business and develops particle accelerators for the medical world and industry.

Headquartered in Belgium and employing about 1,500 people worldwide, IBA has installed systems across the world. IBA is listed on the pan-European stock exchange NYSE EURONEXT (IBA: Reuters IBAB.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB). More information can be found at: www.iba-worldwide.com.


About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. The company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips’ wholly owned subsidiary Philips Lighting is the global leader in lighting products, systems and services. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2015 sales of EUR 24.2 billion and employs approximately 105,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.
News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.


About Proton Partners International
Proton Partners International is a private limited company, registered in Wales. The company was formed following discussions between Professor Karol Sikora, former head of the World Health Organisation’s cancer program, Professor Sir Chris Evans, the leading life sciences entrepreneur, and Neil Woodford, founding partner of Woodford Investment Management. Institutional and private investors have committed to almost £100m equity finance in the company.

Professor Gordon McVie, Clinical Research Adviser to the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM), has been appointed non-executive chairman and Professor Karol Sikora is chief medical adviser to the company.

The Welsh Government’s Life Sciences Investment Fund is a key investor in Proton Partners International.

For more information on Proton Partners, please visit: http://proton-int.com/
Follow us on twitter @ProtonPartners