(10/06/2004) IBA announces the first clinical use of the RadioCoil (TM) source

June 10, 2004 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, June 10, 2004 - IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.: Reuters IOBAt.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, RadioMed Corporation based in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, had launched the clinical use of its RADIOCOILPD-103 linear Brachytherapy source for treatment of prostate cancer. Brachytherapy by seed implantation is the preferred treatment option for the majority of the early-stage prostate cancer patients diagnosed with each year in the USA. RADIOCOIL (TM) is a 2nd generation brachytherapy source designed to surpass the performance of seeds that are commonly used for prostate cancer. The RADIOCOIL source is designed with the intention to deliver a homogenous dose to the tissue, to be visible under ultrasound, and to be stable and non-migratory in the prostate gland. This first RADIOCOILPD-103 implant was performed by Alan Hartford, M.D., PhD., Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School and Staff Radiation Oncologist at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). "The implant went very well," said Dr. Hartford. "We believe this technology will provide improved security of positioning within the prostate and thus will prove to be more effective and lead to better outcomes." Supporting the implant team was David Gladstone ScD, Chief of Clinical Physics at DHMC and Assistant Professor of Radiation Biology at Dartmouth Medical School. Gladstone, who worked on the initial development and testing of the coil at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at DHMC, said he has been very pleased with the improved precision and stability offered by the new technology. "Although the Dosimetry is similar to seeds, the linear source provided by the coil design allows us to deliver a more homogeneous dose along each needle tract," said Gladstone. "Moreover, while conventional seeds have been reported to move once implanted in tissue, our studies at Dartmouth have shown the radioactive coil design to be much more stable. We believe this technology will allow us to deliver more precise doses of radiation with far greater stability than traditional seed implants." The source is activated by IBA's one-of-a-kind powerful self-extracting cyclotron in a state-of-the-art facility in Fleurus, Belgium. "The external beam of the self-extracting cyclotron is based on IBA's leadership position in cyclotron design and essential for the activation of the RADIOCOIL (TM) source," stated Yves Jongen, Chief Research Officer and founder of IBA. "The RADIOCOILPD-103 market launch is the culmination of several years of effort to design and evaluate the feature of the product and incorporate the recommendations and feedback of leading radiation oncologists into the design," stated John Schwamb, COO of RadioMed. About RadioMed Corporation RadioMed Corporation, IBA's brachytherapy business based in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, has developed an advanced brachytherapy source based on a unique coiled-wire technology. The coiled line source, RADIOCOIL™ offers many advantages over the more traditional rice-sized "seeds", including improved dose distribution, stability of the implant in tissue, and ultrasound visibility that allows source placement by a smaller gauge needle, causing less trauma to the gland and enhancing patient comfort. Based on the revolutionary coiled-wire concept, RadioMed has recently introduced VISICOILTM, an advanced linear, fiducial, soft tissue marker. VISICOIL is designed to enhance the targeting capability of treatment techniques such as proton therapy and intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), allowing more accurate targeting of the dose to cancerous tumors while minimizing dose to the surrounding healthy tissue. This so-called "image-guided-radiation-therapy" (IGRT) technique relies on the unique visibility of the VISICOIL marker under a variety of imaging modalities. RadioMed products are patented and have received clearance from the United Stated Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Website: www.radiomed.com About IBA Ion Beam Applications claims to be at the leading edge of technology in the fields of cancer diagnosis and therapy. IBA also offers innovative solutions ensuring well-being, health and the safety of many of our daily actions. The company is active on three continents and employs more than 1,800 people. It is listed on the pan-European stock exchange EURONEXT and is integrated into the NextEconomy market segment. Website: www.iba-worldwide.com. For further information please contact: IBA S.A. Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium Paul-Emmanuel Goethals - Business Development & Investor Relations Manager Telephone: +32 10 47 58 16 E-Mail: goethals@iba.be RadioMed Corporation Tynsboro, Massachussetts, USA John Schwamb - Chief Operating Officer Telephone: +1 978 649 0300 E-Mail: john.schwamb@radiomed.com IBA SA - Registered Office : Chemin du Cyclotron, 3 - 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium Tel.: +32 10 47 58 11 / Fax: +32 10 47 58 10 E-Mail : info-worldwide@iba.be Website: http://www.iba-worldwide.com RC Nivelles 54589 VAT: BE428.750.985 © CompanynewsGroup