Brussels, 22/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 21 December, the European Investment Bank (EIB) will grant financing of up to €50 million to IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) for its current research and development projects in the fields of cancer diagnosis and therapy. This funding forms part of the objective of the European Union to establish a competitive knowledge-based economy and the policy of the EIB to finance research and innovation as a priority.
The IBA's R&D programme will be conducted between 2010 and 2013 and will comprise research, development, clinical trials and regulatory approvals related to the development of new products and to optimising and further developing existing products and equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Most of the activities financed by the loan will be carried out in the IBA R&D centres in Louvain-la-Neuve and Fleurus (Belgium), in Schwarzenbruck (Germany), Saclay (France) and to a lesser extent in Dulles (USA). The total amount considered is €117.9 million to be financed up to €50 million through the EIB/European Commission's Risk-Sharing Finance Facility. More specifically, the EIB loan will cover R&D areas such as: - Molecular Imaging: new development for radio-isotopes and marked molecules; - Particle Therapy: new equipment and software to treat cancer; - Dosimetry: new radiation measurement devices and software for diagnosis and therapy. (O.L./transl.fl)