Proton therapy was hitting the headlines this week, with new installation contracts, project updates and a system release all announced in the last few days.
First up, Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA) booked an $88 million order to supply its ProBeam proton therapy system for the Scripps Proton Therapy Center in San Diego, CA. The five-room centre is currently under construction and scheduled to begin treating patients in 2013. The facility will also serve as a particle therapy research centre.
The equipment order was issued by the California Proton Treatment Center, an entity formed by San Diego-based Advanced Particle Therapy, the developer for the $225 million project. Varian is partnering with ORIX Capital Markets in a $165 million loan facility to finance the centre's completion and start-up operations. Varian also signed a 10-year service agreement valued at approximately $60 million.
Based on a 250 MeV isochronous superconducting cyclotron, Varian's ProBeam uses pencil-beam scanning to deliver intensity-modulated proton therapy. "This is an exciting step forward for the Varian Particle Therapy business," said Varian's president and CEO Tim Guertin. "The Scripps Proton Therapy Center will be our first full installation for managing, planning and delivering intensity-modulated proton therapy."
Construction of the 102,000 ft2 building is approximately 80% complete. Major components of Varian's ProBeam system are already being delivered, with installation scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.
Compact options
Meanwhile, IBA of Belgium has announced the first US installation of its compact Proteus ONE proton therapy system, at a facility being developed by Willis-Knighton Cancer Center in Shreveport, LA. Proteus ONE is a single-room system designed to provide a less costly option for cancer centres without the budget or space for a comprehensive, multi-room facility.
Proteus ONE measures roughly 15 x 29 m including the shielding walls, comprises an advanced non-superconductive cyclotron, an integrated cone-beam CT, a compact gantry and patient-friendly treatment room. The treatment system is valued at between $25 and $30 million with an additional long-term maintenance agreement.
"We're very pleased to be among the pioneers of IBA's new proton beam solution," said Lane R Rosen, director of radiation oncology at Willis-Knighton Cancer Center. "And we're excited about the opportunity to be the very first to use IBA's compact Pencil Beam Scanning technology."
Construction of a two-story addition to the existing cancer centre will begin by late 2011, with the first patients due to be treated with protons in early 2014. The new Willis-Knighton Proton Center is expected to serve about 200 cancer patients annually. In addition to the Proteus ONE, the $40 million project includes additional clinical space for radiation, medical and surgical oncology, and expansion of patient-support services.
Project progress
Elsewhere, new player ProTom International (Flower Mound, TX) reports that synchrotron installation has commenced at the McLaren Proton Therapy Center (MPTC) in Flint, MI. MPTC is installing ProTom's Radiance 330 proton therapy system, a compact system optimized for delivering scanned pencil beams.
The company points out that its synchrotron arrived via commercial airline, in contrast to some previous generations of heavy proton therapy technology that required special cranes, transport, rigging and even bridge reinforcements for delivery. Construction on the McLaren Proton Therapy Center began last October 2010, and the facility is on track to treat its first patient in December 2012.
This announcement came hot on the heels of a UK deal in which ProTom signed up to provide its Radiance 330 for a new Advanced Proton Solutions (APS) facility to be built in the City of London. "Advanced Proton Solutions represents an ideal partner for ProTom's first international venture," said ProTom's CEO Stephen Spotts. "Due to its modular design and smaller footprint, our Radiance 330 system is a great solution for sustainable urban locations such as the City of London."
Finally, this week saw Still River Systems (Littleton, MA) unveil its MEVION S250, a gantry-mounted proton source with integrated image-based workflow. Simultaneously, the company changed its name to Mevion Medical Systems, to reflect its "transition from a research and development organization to a commercial manufacturer".
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First up, Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, CA) booked an $88 million order to supply its ProBeam proton therapy system for the Scripps Proton Therapy Center in San Diego, CA. The five-room centre is currently under construction and scheduled to begin treating patients in 2013. The facility will also serve as a particle therapy research centre.
The equipment order was issued by the California Proton Treatment Center, an entity formed by San Diego-based Advanced Particle Therapy, the developer for the $225 million project. Varian is partnering with ORIX Capital Markets in a $165 million loan facility to finance the centre's completion and start-up operations. Varian also signed a 10-year service agreement valued at approximately $60 million.
Varian's cyclotron
Based on a 250 MeV isochronous superconducting cyclotron, Varian's ProBeam uses pencil-beam scanning to deliver intensity-modulated proton therapy. "This is an exciting step forward for the Varian Particle Therapy business," said Varian's president and CEO Tim Guertin. "The Scripps Proton Therapy Center will be our first full installation for managing, planning and delivering intensity-modulated proton therapy."
Construction of the 102,000 ft2 building is approximately 80% complete. Major components of Varian's ProBeam system are already being delivered, with installation scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.
Compact options
Meanwhile, IBA of Belgium has announced the first US installation of its compact Proteus ONE proton therapy system, at a facility being developed by Willis-Knighton Cancer Center in Shreveport, LA. Proteus ONE is a single-room system designed to provide a less costly option for cancer centres without the budget or space for a comprehensive, multi-room facility.
Proteus ONE measures roughly 15 x 29 m including the shielding walls, comprises an advanced non-superconductive cyclotron, an integrated cone-beam CT, a compact gantry and patient-friendly treatment room. The treatment system is valued at between $25 and $30 million with an additional long-term maintenance agreement.
"We're very pleased to be among the pioneers of IBA's new proton beam solution," said Lane R Rosen, director of radiation oncology at Willis-Knighton Cancer Center. "And we're excited about the opportunity to be the very first to use IBA's compact Pencil Beam Scanning technology."
Construction of a two-story addition to the existing cancer centre will begin by late 2011, with the first patients due to be treated with protons in early 2014. The new Willis-Knighton Proton Center is expected to serve about 200 cancer patients annually. In addition to the Proteus ONE, the $40 million project includes additional clinical space for radiation, medical and surgical oncology, and expansion of patient-support services.
Project progress
Elsewhere, new player ProTom International (Flower Mound, TX) reports that synchrotron installation has commenced at the McLaren Proton Therapy Center (MPTC) in Flint, MI. MPTC is installing ProTom's Radiance 330 proton therapy system, a compact system optimized for delivering scanned pencil beams.
The company points out that its synchrotron arrived via commercial airline, in contrast to some previous generations of heavy proton therapy technology that required special cranes, transport, rigging and even bridge reinforcements for delivery. Construction on the McLaren Proton Therapy Center began last October 2010, and the facility is on track to treat its first patient in December 2012.
This announcement came hot on the heels of a UK deal in which ProTom signed up to provide its Radiance 330 for a new Advanced Proton Solutions (APS) facility to be built in the City of London. "Advanced Proton Solutions represents an ideal partner for ProTom's first international venture," said ProTom's CEO Stephen Spotts. "Due to its modular design and smaller footprint, our Radiance 330 system is a great solution for sustainable urban locations such as the City of London."
Finally, this week saw Still River Systems (Littleton, MA) unveil its MEVION S250, a gantry-mounted proton source with integrated image-based workflow. Simultaneously, the company changed its name to Mevion Medical Systems, to reflect its "transition from a research and development organization to a commercial manufacturer".
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