With profits of 112%, IBA is one of the star companies of 2015. More and more hospitals acknowledge the enormous benefits of proton therapy to fight cancer.
You do not often encounter a CEO that promises strong growth for 2015, 2016, 2017 ánd 2018, but Olivier Legrain, CEO of IBA, already made this promise early in 2015.
IBA, the innovative company based in Louvain-la-Neuve having a market share of over 50%, is the undisputed world leader in proton therapy. This therapy makes it possible to irradiate tumors very precisely. It works much more targeted than conventional radiotherapy, and therefore is more effective and less damaging to healthy tissue.
In the beginning of 2015, IBA closed a mega of 80 million euros for building one of the largest centers for proton therapy in the world in North China. Moreover, it may provide the equipment for the dosimetry (calculating the irradiation per patient).
More and more oncologists look at the benefits of proton therapy. There are 50 projects in the pipeline worth nearly 1 billioen euros.
Also early in 2015, IBA managed to obtain another giant contract: 74 million for the construction and maintenance of a facility in Florida. The Walloon company also partners with Toshiba to distribute its equipment in Japan and with Philips, which provides the imaging, to conquer the rest of the world.
In late September a breakthrough followed in Latin America: a deal for a cancer center in Argentina. Value: 35 to 40 million.
Especially the compact unit ProteusOne is a hit. This is a smaller center, costing 20 million euros, it is cheaper and easier to install than the traditional centers. For hospitals, this is an accessible investment.
With already 75% more orders in September on an annual basis, 2016 will again be a record year for IBA. Legrain says that this is only the start: “Currently, barely one percent of the patients who could benefit from proton therapy, is being treated with this technique. We do not even have a center in Belgium yet.” Until 2018, IBA envisions a growth of at least 10% per year, while the profits should increase annually by 1%.
(Source: De Tijd)
