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Since its foundation IBA has expanded its activities into complentary technologies and solutions with one goal in minds: to Protect, Enhance and Save lives.
IBA began its existence in 1986 as a spin-off of the Cyclotron Research Center of the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve (UCL), which produced its first cyclotron in 1947. The objective of its founder, Yves Jongen and of Pierre Mottet who joined the company a year later, was to exploit a unique expertise in particle accelerator technology to meet growing needs in the fields of medicine and industry. While initially active in medical imaging, IBA quickly recognized the need to diversify. So, the company turned its attention to radiotherapy (Proton Therapy) and developed cyclotrons able to treat numerous forms of cancer with a degree of precision and efficacy never reached before
Then, in 1992, IBA expanded activities into the industrial sector of Sterilization & Ionization by introducing the RhodotronR, a new type of particle accelerator based on a patented concept of the French Atomic Energy Commission.
IBA employees got together in 1997 in an employees' buy out of the shares of the company. The purpose was on one hand to raise their involvement in and reward their commitment to the success of the company and on the other hand to give them the opportunity to drive the future of the company.
In June 1998, funds were raised on the Brussels stock market from an Initial Public Offering to enable IBA to accelerate its development by internal growth and acquisition of other companies. All technologies and services were to reinforce or complement IBA's core competencies.
IBA enters the field of Dosimetry through the acquisition of Scanditronix and of Wellhöfer.
For over 30 years, Scanditronix and Wellhöfer had provided sophisticated and customized high-end dosimetry equipment for use in hospitals and by industry partners across the world. The group formed by Scanditronix and Wellhöfer within the IBA group now represents the most important player in worldwide dosimetry market and reinforces IBA's presence within the medical world.
IBA consolidates its strength in irradiation technologies by the acquisition of Radiation Dynamics, Inc.
In February 1999, Ion Beam Applications has realized the acquisition of Radiation Dynamics Inc. RDI was well-established in the field of high power low energy E-beam accelerators used for heat shrinking and polymer modification applications.
This acquisition reinforced IBA prominent position in the E-beam field as the RDI product line complements IBA's high energy, high power RhodotronR. It has comforted IBA's position as the undisputed leader in all applications for electron beam including sterilization for medical devices food pasteurization, cross-linking and depollution, as well as in emergent technologies like oil-cracking, cargo screening ...
In 2001, IBA became the majority shareholder of Eastern Isotopes, Inc., which was founded in 1993 in Sterling, Virginia, USA. In an effort to plan for what the founders saw as the “future of nuclear medicine”, Eastern Isotopes installed its first cyclotron in the Sterling facility in August 1998. This enabled the company to continue producing the standard nuclear medicine products, while expanding into the new PET imaging products, most notably FDG. This was the first step of several that established Eastern Isotopes as a leader within the PET imaging community. This allowed IBA to leverage its global expertise and innovation to offer its customers an international distribution network, more research isotopes and greater access to advanced cyclotron technology.
In 2001, the first patient is treated with a proton therapy system installed by IBA at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, now known as Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center. This represents a great achievement for IBA after many years of research, development and collaboration with clinical partners. IBA made available what is now recognized as the leading edge treatment modality for radical dose cancer therapy. Since then, through relentless efforts and passion, IBA has installed over half of the clinically driven PT centers worldwide and has become the undisputed leader in that field.
On April 20th 2006, IBA reveals its new face that expresses its focus on the fight against cancer and its mission to Protect, Enhance and Save Lives. At the same occasion, IBA operates a rebranding of all its branches to translate its mission and its real multinational stature in an ever increasing worldwide market. The different companies acquired throughout the years and IBA core activities are integrated in business units to form a worldwide group as it is now known. All of the PET Radiopharmaceuticals & Isotopes activities of IBA and Eastern Isotopes, along with the cyclotron equipment sales transitioned to the new IBA Molecular business unit. All R&D, production, installation, management of particle therapy form IBA Particle Therapy. The integrated activities of Scanditronix and Wellhöfer became IBA Dosimetry. IBA expertise in e-beam accelerators is combined with RDI activities into IBA Industrial.
Throughout the recent years IBA has made numerous efforts to set up a foot in the Asian market. Concretely speaking, In June 2007, IBA opened a new facility in Beijing, PRC of China. From this day onwards, IBA could count on Asian Headquarters offices as well as production facilities to support all its Business Units in Asia. This settlement is part of an overall development program to optimize the market opportunities in one of the fastest growing market. In 2007, in order to make its radiopharmaceuticals technology and product available in the Asian markets, IBA has recently set a foot on the Indian sub-continent by the setup of a radiopharmacy in Noida (Delhi area). Nuclear Medicine department of the Delhi region can now benefit from a reliable supply of PET isotopes.
IBA develops its presence in Europe for the production and distribution of radiopharmaceuticals: Acquisition of the Schering radiopharmaceutical business and CIS bio International. Facing the growth of the PET market in Europe, IBA decided to increase its activity in the area by the acquisition of the Schering FDG and CIS bio businesses. As a first step of this acquisition, in 2006, the IBA Molecular Europe entity was created to integrate the existing IBA FDG operations and the Schering FDG operations in UK, Belgium, Spain and Italy, making IBA the largest European PET radio-isotopes network. As a second step, in 2008, IBA acquired fully the CIS BIO organization, extending further the perimeter of its radiopharmaceutical activities with a complete line of SPECT radiopharmaceuticals and additional FDG production facilities in France. The acquisition of CIS BIO makes the company one of the world's largest player in the Radiopharmaceutical business, providing the group with an extended PET isotopes network, worldwide distribution of a SPECT portfolio, and superior R&D capabilities aimed at giving Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging a new invigoration.
IBA invests in cutting edge medical technology: Acquisition of CIS BIO's drug discovery activities
For more than 25 years, CISBIO Bioassays, now member of the IBA Group, has explored biology and immunoassay design to provide physicians, biologists, clinical chemists and scientists with enhanced solutions for improving patient care. CISBIO Bioassays dedicates its expertise to delivering cutting-edge assays and services to clinical medicine and to pharmaceutical research.
The ultimate goal of the Group is to deliver solutions, products and services that will help its customers to protect, enhance and save lives of people worldwide leveraging on its field of experience and expertise with passion and commitment.
Driven by the vision that Molecular Imaging has reached only a fraction of its full potential, we sense the enormous energy and hope that invigorates the medical community worldwide.
By offering superior specificity and sensitivity, Molecular Imaging is opening new ways in the Early Detection, the Characterization and the Evaluation of Treatment Response, giving healthcare new solutions to develop towards a more personalized and effective Medicine. By combining its capacity to develop pharmaceuticals, a wide and efficient isotopes distribution network and its expertise in radiochemistry and acceleration, IBA has positioned itself uniquely to become a major player in this new era of the radiopharmaceuticals through R&D and partnerships.
Through countless efforts in R&D, intelligent partnerships, people's commitment and care for the patients, IBA Particle therapy is continuously developing Particle oncology solutions that will control and cure cancer worldwide in the most flexible, effective and empathetic way possible. After having pioneered the field of Particle Therapy and becoming the worldwide leader in this market, IBA is well decided to follow that path in offering its customers ever more flexibility and expertise to design state-of-the-art centers that fits customers' needs. Furthermore, to prepare the technology of tomorrow, IBA has decided to continue its efforts in developing the first Carbon Therapy system based on IBA technology and know-how to push the limits of technology ever further.
Besides these core activities, IBA has the firm intention to develop all its field of expertise and for instance, enhance precision and safety in diagnostics and therapy through accurate Dosimetry and open new ways in the field of Industrial application of particle accelerators.
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