IBA and Philips Announce First Installation of Patient-Centered Proton Treatment Room

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IBA Group, a leader in advanced cancer diagnosis and therapy technologies, and Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today announced their first-ever installation of a state-of-the-art, patient-centered proton therapy treatment room in the United States. A new addition to the Willis-Knighton Cancer Center in Shreveport, La., will be the first IBA installation to incorporate the Philips Ambient Experience.

“This new installation is the first to come to fruition from the Philips-IBA cooperative agreement”

Designed and engineered by Philips Healthcare, the Philips Ambient Experience promotes patient relaxation during proton treatments by permitting patients to selectively add comforting light, sound and images to the treatment room environment before they begin therapy. This will help improve the patient and staff experience, turning a cold, impersonal environment into one that comforts and reassures as the patient becomes an active participant in the process.

“This new installation is the first to come to fruition from the Philips-IBA cooperative agreement,” said Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer at IBA. “It is demonstrative of a successful collaboration with Philips in offering highly advanced, patient-centered care, and we are delighted it will be integrated into our new proton system installations.”

“Ambient Experience enhances our ability to provide superior cancer care,” said Dr. Lane Rosen of the Willis-Knighton Cancer Center. “The soothing and empowering atmosphere will make our patients more comfortable, which will allow our staff to work more efficiently. IBA and Philips have been excellent partners, so it made sense to work with them to bring this unique experience to our patients.”

Willis-Knighton will be the first center to utilize Proteus^®ONE*, IBA’s single-room compact gantry solution for those looking for a more cost-effective, smaller footprint option. The $40 million project is expected to begin treating cancer patients with protons in early 2014.

Together with Philips, IBA is demonstrating a life-size model of the ProteusONE proton therapy room combined with the Philips Ambient Experience solution in booth #3019 at the 54^th annual meeting of ASTRO, the American Society for Radiation Oncology, in Boston.

*Proteus^®ONE is the brand name of a new configuration of the Proteus^®235, including some new developments subject to review by Competent Authorities (FDA, European Notified Bodies, et al.) before marketing.

About IBA
IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) is a cancer diagnostics and treatment company and the worldwide technology leader in the field of proton therapy. The company’s expertise lies in the development of next-generation proton therapy technologies and radiopharmaceuticals that provide oncology care providers with premium quality services and equipment, including IBA’s leading fully integrated IntegraLab^® radiopharmacy system, and Dosimetry advanced solutions for Quality Assurance of medical equipment and increased patient safety.

Headquartered in Belgium and employing more than 1,200 people worldwide, IBA currently has installed systems across Europe and the U.S. and is expanding into emerging markets. The company is focused on building sustainable global growth for investors, providing solutions in the fight against cancer.
IBA is listed on the pan-European stock exchange EURONEXT.
Website: www.iba-worldwide.com

About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2011 sales of EUR 22.6 billion and employs approximately 121,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming, home and portable entertainment and oral healthcare.
News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

About Willis-Knighton Cancer Center
Opened in 2000, the Willis-Knighton Cancer Center provides a wide range of treatment options for cancer patients, including radiation oncology, medical oncology and hematology, surgical oncology, and gynecologic oncology. A regional comprehensive cancer center, Willis-Knighton provides diagnostic services such as PET/CT, X-ray, CT and laboratory. It also offers social services counseling, nutritional counseling, educational resources, community education programs and support groups.
Website: www.wkhs.com/Cancer