Provision Healthcare and Tianjin Taishan Cancer Hospital Partner to Develop the First Proton Therapy Center in Northern China’s Free Trade Zone

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.

Provision Healthcare has signed a joint agreement with the Tianjin Taishan Cancer Hospital (International Personalized Cancer Center, “IPCC”) in northern China to build the first and only proton therapy center in the free trade zone and develop a training facility for medical providers as part of the company’s global expansion strategy.

The $100 million (USD) center will be jointly owned and operated by Provision and Tianjin hospital and named the TAEA Sino-US Proton Treatment and Research Center. ProNova Solutions, Provision’s R&D and manufacturing business, will manufacture and outfit the center’s three treatment rooms with its SC360 proton treatment system. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2018.

Proton therapy uses a single beam of high-energy protons to precisely target a tumor with limited exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. Proton therapy is used to treat a variety of cancer types including prostate, breast, lung, head and neck, pediatric cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The venture will include a research capability for conducting clinical trials focused on further development of proton therapy in northern China. Additionally, the partners will develop and build a nearby training center to educate medical personnel as the use of proton therapy expands across the country.

“As the name indicates, Tianjin Taishan Hospital (IPCC) strives to provide personalized cancer treatment,” said Dr. Xishan Hao, president of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, honorary president of Tianjin Medical University and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, director of the Tianjin Cancer Institute. “ProNova’s advanced technology will help Tianjin Taishan Hospital become the first provider for proton therapy in a free trade zone of China. The network of proton therapy centers that Provision has created will bring Taishan to the front row of global cancer research.”

“This partnership and investment with Tianjin Taishan Cancer Hospital in these projects is the next step in Provision’s strategy of making proton therapy available around the world,” said Terry Douglass, Chairman and CEO of Provision Healthcare. “Our goal is to make the proton center a “Center of Excellence” in the Asia-Pacific region. With our projects in the United States and Oxford in the United Kingdom, we’ve created a global strategic network that covers America, Europe and Asia.”

The proton center’s three treatment rooms will include two 360-degree rotation gantrys and one fixed beam system, and Provision will be responsible for operation and maintenance of the equipment. Provision will be involved in design and development of the project as well as management of patient services, replicating the “Culture of Care” model found at the Provision Center for Proton Therapy in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.

About Provision Healthcare

Provision Healthcare is a comprehensive healthcare group in the United States integrating clinical services, R&D, manufacturing, investment and a charitable foundation. With an emphasis in cancer, Provision Healthcare is committed to providing cutting edge treatment, early detection and personalized care for cancer patients around the world.

About ProNova Solutions

As a division of Provision Healthcare, ProNova Solutions is committed to making proton therapy accessible to a greater number of patients and physicians worldwide. Founded by the leaders of CTI Molecular Imaging, ProNova’s team brought positron emission tomography (PET) technology out of the laboratory and made it a clinical reality for millions of cancer patients. Its SC360 system reduces cost of construction and maintenance, improves reliability and features additional systems functions including superconducting magnets for supplying and directing the beams of protons, cone-beam CT, PET scanning for precise location of the tumors and monitoring effectiveness of treatment, and pencil beam scanning for precise application of the proton radiation and quality control.

About Provision Center for Proton Therapy

Provision Center for Proton Therapy is the first cancer treatment center of its kind in Tennessee and only the second in the Southeastern United States. Open to all credentialed physicians and health systems in the region, the Provision Center for Proton Therapy has three treatment rooms and is able to treat up to 900 cancer patients annually. Treatments typically require daily 30-45 minute sessions for four to eight weeks. The next closest location offering proton therapy is more than 450 miles away. The center has brought to Knoxville and the world an advanced cancer treatment capability that presently is available in only a handful of cities. It is one of only 14 in the nation and 46 in the world.

About Tianjin Taishan Cancer Hospital

The Tianjin Taishan Cancer Hospital, located in the Tianjin Airport Economic Area (“TAEA”), is the first personalized cancer medical center in China. Leveraging the free trade zone’s policy and advantages, the Hospital focuses on developing biological immune treatment, bone marrow transplant, functional surgery and precise and accurate radio therapy, characterized by precise and accurate comprehensive cancer treatment.