Dutch conglomerate Royal Philips is bringing its imaging expertise to a partnership with Ion Beam Applications, or IBA, a Belgian proton therapy equipment manufacturer.
The companies have agreed to jointly develop image-guided proton therapy technology, market their products together, combining Philips' oncology imaging and clinical informatics products with IBA's proton therapy equipment. The companies have been working together on projects in advanced diagnostics and therapy in oncology since 2014.
Philips and IBA ultimately are looking to offer more effective and personalized cancer care, the companies said. They've already established compatibility between IBA's proton therapy equipment and Philips' Pinnacle3 therapy planning software used by radiation oncologists to review imaging in order to plan procedures and determine dosage.
The two companies will be working together on developing proton therapy methods that are more efficient and improve physician workflows, according to a release. The collaboration is also expected to bring advanced CT scanning technology from Philips to over 30 IBA proton therapy centers around the world, employing a new software algorithm developed by the two companies.
IBA equipment is used at 12 proton therapy centers at the U.S. Currently, Philips and IBA are in the process of installing new image-guided equipment in the UK, the Middle East and India.
Proton therapy centers have opened throughout the U.S. despite a lack of evidence proving whether the costly treatment provides better outcomes that conventional radiotherapy. The equipment has also been heavily marketed by hospitals, who are often one of few providers, if not the only provider, in their state to offer the service.
