Belgium's IBA signs deal for three compact therapy centres in UK

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian cancer treatment equipment maker IBA said on Thursday it had signed agreements to install three compact proton therapy centres in Britain. The company said the deals, containing immediate down payments, included 10 year maintenance contracts. The typical price for a Proteus One system with such a contract is between 35 and 40 million euros, IBA said. The centres will bring to 10 the number of compact single-room therapy units that IBA has installed. One will be in Newport, Wales, another in the northern English city of Newcastle. The location for the third had not been established. Proton therapy offers a more targeted treatment of cancerous tumours, potentially with fewer side effects than traditional radiation. (Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop; editing by Robert-Jan Bartunek)