press trust of india, New Delhi, June 12: Philips Healthcare has entered into an exclusive agreement with Belgium-headquartered IBA (Ion Beam Applications SA) to provide proton therapy solutions, an advanced radiation therapy for cancer treatment, in India.
The agreement comprises R&D, marketing and sales of imaging and therapy solutions in oncology and enables both companies to mutually leverage technologies and solutions.
Proton therapy is considered to be one of the most advanced treatments for cancer.
“It would work in 30 per cent of the cancers, especially where there are organs as heart, chest, and brain behind it. It would work in head and neck, prostate, lungs, pediatrics, heart, chest, pancreas, … all these are identified as areas where this is a preferred choice,” said Sameer Garde, president, Philips Healthcare South Asia.
Advanced MRI, PET and CT imaging technologies will help physicians better target proton beam delivery to destroy cancer cells whilst avoiding healthy tissue.
“The proton therapy is very specific in its treatment. It would not touch the healthy cells as it is very targeted and precise. Hence there is no complication of hitting the healthy cells,” a company official said.
IBA has already started building a proton therapy centre at Apollo Chennai and it would be functional soon.
“We are already talking to Tata Memorial Centre, and also in discussion with other hospitals,” said Garde who is also sector market leader – Indian subcontinent.
“There is big need for proton therapy in India. We think that 20 per cent of patients could benefit from proton therapy. That’s why we have come with high technology,” Olivier Legrain, chief executive officer, IBA, said.
IBA has globally sold 33 proton therapy centers including in the US, Europe, Russia, China, Korea and Japan.
IBA is a global medical technology firm focused on solutions for diagnosis and treatment of cancer and is a worldwide technology leader in the field of proton therapy.
