Apollo Hospitals to Establish the First Proton Therapy Center for Cancer Treatment to Serve Over 3.5 Billion People

CHENNAI, January 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Signs Contract With IBA Worth Approx Rs. 400 Crores

Apollo Hospitals, India's leading healthcare provider, in its yet another initiative to bring the best healthcare practices to India, announced its plans to establish a Proton Therapy Center in India, the first-of-its-kind across South East Asia, Africa and Australia. This launch, that marks the beginning of the next wave of advancement in radiation therapy in India, is worth approximately Rs. 400 crores, which covers the equipment and services supplied by IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) to help establish the Apollo Proton Therapy Center including the long-term operation and maintenance contract.

Designed with state-of-the-art technology, IBA Proteus^®PLUS is clinically inspired to offer the possibility to configure the most appropriate combination of features to meet the individual needs of patients and provides a versatility to meet the clinical objectives of physicians. IBA will equip the Apollo Proton Therapy Center with its Proteus^®PLUS multi-room configuration which will include three treatment rooms with Uniform Scanning and Pencil Beam Scanning capabilities. IBA will also provide all dosimetry equipment to ensure the safest and fastest commissioning of the center so that patients can benefit from this technology starting 2016. In addition to this, the Apollo Proton Therapy Center will have a significant portion of the facility dedicated to research and development that will partner with leading institutions across the world to foster innovation so as to make modern healthcare accessible and available for the nation.

Speaking on this new initiative, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, "This new Proton Therapy facility will give patients access to the most advanced radiation therapy technology. Moreover, the center will become an International Proton Therapy Center of Reference in Asia, allowing us to further enhance our ability to provide superior cancer care and promote the benefits of proton therapy technology across the sub-continent."

Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA, commented: "We are very excited to be making proton therapy available for the first time in India. The Indian healthcare market is growing rapidly and there is a significant need for innovative approaches to cancer therapy. Apollo Hospitals is one of Asia's leading healthcare providers and through our collaboration, IBA further strengthens its world leading position in proton therapy and will be at the forefront of delivering the latest in innovative cancer therapy to the Asia region."

With approximately 3 million people suffering from cancer in India and one million new cases being detected every year, there is a need for specialty cancer treatment hospitals. As most patients are diagnosed with advanced stage cancer, the demand for state-of-the-art cancer treatment is high. This Proton Therapy Centre, with its highly advanced technology, will be able to provide the best in class treatment for patients who suffer from cancer.

Proton therapy is increasingly considered the most advanced and targeted cancer treatment due to its superior dose distribution and fewer side effects. Protons deposit the majority of their effective energy within a precisely controlled range, directly within the tumor and sparing healthy surrounding tissue. It is used today to treat many cancers and is particularly appropriate in situations where treatment options are limited and conventional radiation therapy presents risks to patients. These situations include eye and brain cancers, tumors close to the brain stem and spinal cord, prostate, liver, lung and breast cancers, and pediatric cancers.

About Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. (AHEL)

It was in 1983, that Dr. Prathap C Reddy made a pioneering endeavour by launching India's first corporate hospital - Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. Now, as Asia's largest and most trusted healthcare group, its presence includes over 8,500 beds across 50 hospitals, 1,350 pharmacies, 100 primary care and diagnostic clinics, 100 telemedicine units across 9 countries, medical business process outsourcing services, health insurance services, global projects consultancy, 15 colleges of nursing and hospital management and a research foundation with a focus on global clinical trials, epidemiological studies, stem cell and genetic research.

In a rare honour, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo's contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2010. For more than 29 years, the Apollo Hospitals Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Our hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals globally for advanced medical services and research.

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 US 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. (IBA: Reuters IBAB.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB) and more information can be found at: www.iba-worldwide.com

Primary Media Contact: Parul Chabbra, parul_c@apollohospitals.com, 91-9810588410

Secondary Media Contact: Kusum Sahijpal, kusum_s@apollohospitals.com, 91-9999973090