Global network of proton therapy centres for cancer treatment
12 July 2010
Proton Therapy USA and CareCapital plc (AIM:CARE) are to form
a new company, Proton Therapy Global Management (PTGM), to develop a
global network of proton therapy centres. These will provide access to
this specialized and highly effective treatment to the world’s growing
population of cancer patients.
Proton therapy is a precise form of radiation treatment that has
been very successful in treating a wide range of localized tumours,
while leaving healthy tissue mostly intact.
PTGM will develop and manage proton therapy facilities in
partnership with some of the world’s most prominent hospitals that
are leaders in providing the most advanced forms of cancer care. To
date, letters of intent have been signed to build five centres in
the US and UK, including at two leading academic cancer research
centres and at a site in central London, respectively.
The Company is in the process of launching a funding entity,
Proton Therapy Global, Inc. that aims to raise several hundred
million dollars for investment in individual proton centres.
The founding PTGM team possesses more than 100 years of combined
healthcare experience, having held senior executive positions in
leading healthcare services’ organizations and global corporations.
In addition, management possesses extensive capital markets
experience and expertise in structuring facilities management and
real estate partnerships.
“The formation of PTGM represents the combination of a highly
focused vision, a compelling business strategy and a disciplined
operating plan orchestrated by one of the most experienced
management teams in the global healthcare industry,” stated Vernon R
Loucks, Chairman of PTGM and former Chairman of Baxter
International.
In addition, the PTGM team has provided critical leadership to
the first facility in the world specifically designed to treat
cancer patients with proton therapy, which so far has treated more
than 15,000 patients. The team has also built and managed hospitals
and medical facility projects on four continents.
“Cancer patients are increasingly demanding access to proton
therapy because it’s non-invasive, effective and unlike standard
X-ray radiation causes significantly fewer side effects,” noted
Ronald Anderson, President and CEO, Proton Therapy USA, who
previously was instrumental in developing and launching the Proton
Therapy Treatment and Research Center at Loma Linda University
Medical Center, Loma Linda, California.
“There are currently only 28 proton centres around the world that
even at full capacity fall significantly short in meeting demand for
this transformational treatment.”
“Recent technology innovations have permitted the development of
scalable, modular proton systems that can be deployed to address
larger and broader communities of patients in a highly cost
effective manner,” said Dr Michael Sinclair, Executive Chairman of
CareCapital. “These advances mean our approach is much less capital
intensive and allows PTGM to target building in major metropolitan
areas.”