Collaboration with BMI Healthcare

RNS Number : 0811G

Advanced Oncotherapy PLC

03 June 2013

 



3 June 2013

ADVANCED ONCOTHERAPY PLC

("AVO" or "the Company")

Collaboration with BMI Healthcare for Three Ground-breaking Proton Cancer Therapy Centres in the UK

State-of-the-art, affordable cancer treatment to be made more widely available to patients

Advanced Oncotherapy today announces that it has signed a letter of intent with BMI Healthcare Ltd ("BMI") to bring affordable proton radiotherapy to the UK.  The joint agreement is initially focussed on developing three sites, each with three treatment rooms, in Birmingham, Manchester and Scotland to complement BMI's existing hospitals in those areas.

The three proton radiotherapy units would be the UK's first multi-purpose, multi-centre facilities to treat different kinds of cancer, including head, neck, spine and brain tumours, as well as a range of tumours in children.

The Company has been working with ADAM, a spin-off company from CERN (the European Centre for Nuclear Research), to develop a new type of proton radiotherapy machine, called 'LIGHT'.

Proton radiotherapy is at the forefront of the fight against cancer, but the UK lags behind its US and European counterparts, only having one machine that is limited to treating eye tumours.  Protons are established as being a much more accurate form of treatment than conventional radiotherapy, causing far fewer side effects.  Previously, however, machines have been prohibitively expensive.

The development of the LIGHT machines is expected to be completed within the next three years with the first new LIGHT machine being delivered in 2016.  With the new LIGHT machine at BMI hospitals, the Company believes that costs will be substantially cheaper, and that patients will benefit from better access, more convenient locations, and the ability to treat cancers more precisely.  This will represent a game-changing proposition for cancer patients in the UK, and underpins the commitments of both companies to high quality, affordable and innovative care.

The Board of AVO expects that the collaboration could result in significant multi-million pound revenues for the Company, with delivery of the centres targeted from 2016.

Advanced Oncotherapy's CEO, Dr Mike Sinclair, said, "We have long been sure that this technology has the potential to bring the benefits of proton beam therapy to many more cancer patients than is possible currently.  Our belief has been endorsed by the independent sector's largest and most forward thinking hospital group.  We are delighted to partner with BMI Healthcare for these three new exciting centres."

Stephen Collier, BMI Healthcare Group Chief Executive, added, "We have  been looking for some time for a proton therapy system that combined good economics and clinical excellence.  We are very pleased to have found it here in the UK.  To put it simply, the technology Advanced Oncotherapy has developed could be a game changer for radiotherapy."  

 

For further information, please visit www.advancedoncotherapy.com or contact:

Michael Sinclair, Chief Executive	Sandy Jamieson	Jon Levinson	Simon Hudson
Advanced Oncotherapy Plc	Libertas Capital Corporate Finance Ltd	Peterhouse Corporate Finance	Tavistock Communications
	(NOMAD & Joint Broker)	(Joint Broker)	(Financial PR & IR)
[phone]	[phone]	[phone]	[phone]

About Advanced Oncotherapy Plc 

1.    Advanced Oncotherapy is a provider of new technology for innovative and patient-focused cancer treatments. These are technologies endorsed internationally by UK and global cancer clinicians and surgeons.

2.    ADAM was founded in 2007 to promote scientific know-how and innovations in medical technology for cancer therapy.  As a CERN spin-off company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, ADAM aims to be a world's leading centre of excellence for research, engineering and industrialization of linear accelerators and detectors for medical applications.

3.    Advanced Oncotherapy signed a definitive Share Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of ADAM in April 2013. 

About BMI Healthcare Limited

1.    BMI Healthcare is the UK's largest independent provider of private healthcare with 69 hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout the country

2.    More than 6,000 consultants choose to practice at BMI hospitals, which collectively handle over 1.25 million patient visits each year

3.    BMI Healthcare focuses on clinical excellence, quality of service and efficiency, and have a deserved reputation in the independent healthcare sector for consistent achievement of these values

For more information please visit http://www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/about-bmi

 

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