Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, January 5, 2018 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications SA), the world’s leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, announces that it has signed a new contract with INVAP for an additional gantry treatment room at the CNEA - UBA New Technologies Cancer Treatment Center to be installed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a collaboration between CNEA, UBA (University of Buenos Aires), and other institutions. This new equipment order has been booked in 2017 and is worth between EUR 10 and 15 million to IBA, including a multi-year service agreement. IBA expects to receive a down payment for this new contract in the coming weeks.
In September 2015, IBA signed its first collaboration contract with INVAP and CNEA (Comisión Nacional de Energia Atómica) to install the first proton therapy system in Latin America. The Proteus®PLUS* solution will now include two gantry treatment rooms with next generation Pencil Beam Scanning capability and integrated Cone Beam CT as well as a dedicated research room. The center will also benefit from the most advanced room matching available, enabling maximum flexibility of room scheduling and allowing for a minimum 30% reduction in commissioning time therefore giving maximum flexibility for patient’ treatment.
Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA commented: “The extension of our collaboration with INVAP endorses IBA’s position as the trusted partner for the development and delivery of proton therapy treatment facilities around the world. We are delighted to expand on our original agreement to install the first proton therapy system in Latin America as it will give improved access to this life changing treatment to more patients globally.”
Alberto Lamagna, Vice President of CNEA, commented: "By bringing an innovative new cancer center closer to the people that need it, doctors have a greater variety of methods to treat cancer. Proton therapy is used today to treat a wide range of cancers and it can be used where treatment options were previously limited. Proton therapy has the potential to improve treatment results and decrease the risk of secondary effects or long-term complications, leading to improved patients’ quality of life.
“This collaboration between CNEA, INVAP and IBA, the global leader in proton therapy, is significant and an important milestone for our future long-term partnerships with these organizations to benefit more cancer patients in Argentina and Latin America.”
