IBA and the University of Pennsylvania partner to advance research of ConformalFLASH® therapy
Multi-year research agreement to develop, test and validate ConformalFLASH® at the Roberts Proton Therapy Center
Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, 25 October 2021 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world leader in particle accelerator technology, today announces that it has signed an agreement with the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) to advance research in ConformalFLASH®1, a novel method combining ultra-high dose rate FLASH radiotherapy and the unique Bragg Peak properties of protons.
The agreement is another successful milestone in the long-term collaboration between IBA and Penn. FLASH Therapy has the potential to deliver a paradigm shift in radiation therapy and cancer treatment, as demonstrated by a growing body of preclinical evidence2.
ConformalFLASH® is a unique technology that brings together FLASH irradiation, which offers high doses of radiotherapy with high precision, with the Proton Bragg Peak, to optimize and accelerate the radiotherapy process. The two organizations will use this latest initiative, which builds on a long-standing collaboration, to develop a science-based approach to bringing ConformalFLASH® to patients in the clinic.
Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA, commented: “This agreement is yet another example of the strength of the IBA community and the benefits that partnerships between the company and its clients have, with a joint goal to make proton therapy better. IBA is fully committed to developing the future of proton therapy for as many patients as possible, by building on technologies such as ConformalFLASH®.”
“Our team is constantly striving to provide the latest and most innovative tools and resources, and we hope through this research to learn more about how this technology may help provide treatment more quickly and effectively,” said James M. Metz, MD, Henry K. Pancoast Professor of Radiation Oncology and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Penn and IBA announced this partnership during a Conference at ASTRO on Sunday 24th October 2021.
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About IBA
IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) is the world leader in particle accelerator technology. The company is the leading supplier of equipment and services in the field of proton therapy, considered to be the most advanced form of radiation therapy available today. IBA is also a leading player in the fields of industrial sterilization, radiopharmaceuticals and dosimetry. The company, based in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, employs approximately 1,500 people worldwide. IBA is a certified B Corporation (B Corp) meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance.
IBA is listed on the pan-European stock exchange EURONEXT (IBA: Reuters IBAB.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB).
More information can be found at: www.iba-worldwide.com.
CONTACTS
IBA
Aymeric Harmant
Proton Therapy Marketing Global Director
+32 10 475 890
global.marketing@iba-group.com
Olivier Lechien
Corporate Communication Director
+32 10 475 890
communication@iba-group.com
For media and investor enquiries:
Consilium Strategic Communications
Amber Fennell, Angela Gray, Lucy Featherstone
+44 (0) 20 3709 5700
IBA@consilium-comms.com
1ConformalFLAsH® is a registered brand of IBA’s Proton FLASH irradiation solution currently under research and development phase.
2 Diffenderfer, Koumenis, Metz et al. Design, Implementation, and in Vivo Validation of a Novel Proton FLASH Radiation Therapy System, Int J Radiation Oncol Biol Phys, 2020
Kim et al. Comparison of FLASH Proton Entrance and the Spread-Out Bragg Peak Dose Regions in the Sparing of Mouse Intestinal Crypts and in a Pancreatic Tumor Model, Cancers, 2021
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