Leo Cancer Care France and Centre Léon Bérard Awarded Prestigious FEDER Grant to Advance Upright Radiation Therapy

Lyon, France – May 04, 2025 – Leo Cancer Care France and Centre Léon Bérard are proud to announce they have been jointly awarded a FEDER (Fonds Européen de Développement Régional) grant to support their collaborative efforts to advance upright radiation therapy. This significant recognition from the European Union underscores the growing momentum behind patient-centric cancer care and innovation in medical technologies across Europe.

A HUGE MILESTONE

The awarded project will focus on validating and optimising the use of Leo Cancer Care’s upright proton therapy solution, Marie®, in a clinical setting, to enhance treatment efficiency, improve patient comfort, and enable greater accessibility to proton therapy. The aim of the ‘Proton Radiotherapy Centre’ project is to offer this therapeutic arsenal to patients in the AURA region.

Phase 1 of the project, funded by the ERDF, will focus on the project’s innovation: treating patients seated or semi-standing, thereby ensuring greater comfort during the treatment session by limiting the physiological movements of various organs. The installation of the vertical positioning system will make it possible, during phase 2, to install the clinical proton therapy equipment, as well as conduct translational research in parallel. The grant provides critical funding to integrate the Marie technology and build upon existing research within one of France’s leading comprehensive cancer centres.

“This grant represents an exciting milestone for Leo Cancer Care France and our valued partners at Centre Léon Bérard, who have been instrumental in gathering the research data that has validated the use of upright therapy clinically since 2019,” said Stephen Towe, CEO of Leo Cancer Care.

VALIDATION FROM RESEARCH

Early findings from Centre Léon Bérard’s research have shown that patients prefer to be positioned in the upright posture while receiving radiation therapy [1], and this has been a major factor for the highly regarded cancer research hospital adopting the Marie® system for future treatments.

“We are proud to continue working alongside Leo Cancer Care on the clinical effectiveness of upright radiotherapy,” added Vincent Gregoire, Head of Centre Léon Bérard’s Radiation Oncology Department and the overseer of the Leo Cancer Care research project, “Together, we aim to demonstrate the clinical and operational value of upright radiotherapy whilst positioning our institution at the forefront of innovative, patient-centric cancer care.”

AN EXCITING ERA FOR CANCER CARE IN EUROPE

The FEDER grant reflects the EU’s commitment to supporting cutting-edge health innovations that benefit patients and healthcare systems. This award not only strengthens the partnership between Leo Cancer Care and Centre Léon Bérard but also reinforces France’s role as a leader in the evolution of radiation oncology.

Stephen Towe concluded: “As part of the ongoing expansion at Centre Léon Bérard, the facility is set to become our flagship site for upright technology in Europe, showcasing the future of patient-centred radiation therapy.

Reference:

[1] Boisbouvier S, Boucaud A, Tanguy R, Grégoire V. Upright patient positioning for pelvic radiotherapy treatments. Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol. 2022 Nov 28;24:124-130. doi: 10.1016/j.tipsro.2022.11.003. PMID: 36471684; PMCID: PMC9719023.