Issue 12 2019

Acquisition International - Issue 12 2019 13 Nov19457 The fight against cancer has become one of the greatest in modern medical history, and scientific research continues to yield new medical methods for combating this disease. At the forefront of developing innovative technologies is Advanced Oncotherapy, a UK-based company focused on delivering proton-based radiotherapy. Heading into a new decade of medical advancement, discover why CEO Nicolas Serandour is being featured as one of Acquisition International’s CEOs to Watch in 2020. n 2019 alone, nearly nine million people will have died of cancer. If left unchecked, that figure could well rise to over thirteen million every year by 2030. That is a staggering 1,500 deaths per hour. With these statistics in mind, breakthrough technologies represent one of the greatest hopes for cancer patients of both the present and future. Innovative CEOs such as Nicolas Serandour are standing steadfast as medical vanguards, relentlessly pursuing start-of-the-art technologies that can be leveraged in the ongoing fight against cancer. Conventional treatments for cancer patients include radiation therapy, which is used in up to sixty percent of cases. However, it can come with costly side effects for the patients. Healthy tissue can suffer, causing internal damage that is hard to repair. That’s where Advanced Oncotherapy’s ground-breaking solution comes in. Focused on proton therapy, also known as proton beam therapy, Nicolas has spearheaded a venture that he believes will revolutionise the way physicians treat cancer moving forward. What separates proton therapy from traditional radiation therapy is the ability to target cancerous cells in the body without causing significant damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Advanced Oncotherapy’s vision for the future is one where a more affordable, proton-based radiotherapy system saves the lives of countless more cancer patients than ever before. With this innovative new technology proving to be both cost-effective and clinically superior to existing systems, Nicolas wants to make this vision a reality. Since being at the firm, Nicolas has overseen the development of its proprietary proton-based technology, LIGHT ® . Developed in collaboration with the world-renowned CERN in Switzerland, LIGHT ® represents the next step in proton beam therapy and particle acceleration that will change the way cancer is approached. LIGHT ® ’s compact design allows the delivery of proton beams onto a tumour with greater precision, even during organ movement. This is due to LIGHT®’s capability to change the dose and energy very quickly, which is important for an entire class of moving tumours (lung, pancreatic, liver). Nicolas and his team are also capitalising on LIGHT ® ’s uniquely small beam size to position the device ahead in the race for delivering what is called “FLASH”: a faster, cheaper approach to proton therapy. A research collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic, that will evaluate the target conformity of proton minibeams, is a significant development as it marks a clear endorsement from one of the most prestigious healthcare institutions in the world. Shining The Light On A Medical Marvel I The company has many ongoing discussions and exclusivity arrangements across the world, including great interest from China. Rather than simply boast about a new piece of tech, and expect hospitals to buy it, Nicolas has instead focused on building relationships that are clinically beneficial for all involved. By enabling hospitals to be a part of developing this new particle accelerator and investigating its therapeutic uses, Advanced Oncotherapy and LIGHT® have rapidly become compelling partners. Nicolas’ success as CEO of Advanced Oncotherapy will soon see the first LIGHT ® system implemented in Harley Street, London. An iconic medical location, this latest development sees yet another success secured for Nicolas and his team. As a proton beam accelerator that is far more compact that traditional radiology equipment, LIGHT® being implemented in the basement of two terraced houses in London will hopefully prove that it can be implemented almost anywhere. Of course, the mark of any great CEO is the ability to recognise the incredible work of the team around them. Since the beginning of his tenure with Advanced Oncotherapy, Nicolas has remained indebted to the outstanding work and devotion of his staff in pursuing their one goal together; to save lives. Nicolas instils in his staff the energy and desire to work collectively as a team in meeting technical milestones set almost thirty months ago. Hiring and partnering with high-calibre experts in radiation and proton therapy, the team Nicolas has built is as much a testament to his success as that of LIGHT ® itself. For Nicolas, the next step is getting LIGHT ® into hospitals where it can truly change lives for the better. A well-considered implementation plan is already in place to successfully transform Advanced Oncotherapy into the undisputed commercial leader for proton-based therapy. As the next decade beckons, while Nicolas remains one of the most exciting leaders to watch within oncotherapy, it is his firm’s potential to radically advance humanity’s efforts to defeat cancer for good that is the real draw. Company: Advanced Oncotherapy Contact: [email protected] Website: https://www.avoplc.com/ “Advanced Oncotherapy’s vision for the future is to save the lives of countless more cancer patients than ever before.”