Eckert & Ziegler forms joint venture for tumor irradiation devices in China

Eckert & Ziegler AG (ISIN DE0005659700), a global radioisotope specialist headquartered in Berlin, Germany, has formed a joint venture with Chinese TCL Healthcare Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (TCL Healthcare) for the development, production and distribution of advanced tumor irradiation devices highly effective against gynecological and other forms of cancer.

 

The joint venture will trade under TCL Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG Healthcare (Wuxi) Co. Ltd. and is held 49% by EZAG and 51% by TCL. TCL Healthcare belongs to Chinese electronics group TCL Corporation with more than 16 billion USD revenues.

"We look forward to advancing brachytherapy with a strong partner in China. The tumor irradiation device produced in China and for the Chinese market opens up completely new market opportunities for us. Every year, around 4 million people in China get cancer (source: WHO). With the joint venture, we have reached another important milestone in our global growth strategy”, explained Dr. Harald Hasselmann, member of the Executive Board of Eckert & Ziegler AG and Managing Director of Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG GmbH.

“Medical devices from Germany have a high standing in China. The cooperation with Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG offers us a unique opportunity to contribute our experience in development, production, approval and sales and to further develop brachytherapy for the benefit of the patients. The core competencies of both partners will complement each other perfectly in the rapidly growing Chinese healthcare market”, said George Chan, Managing Director of TCL Healthcare Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

About Eckert & Ziegler
Eckert & Ziegler Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG (ISIN DE0005659700), with around 800 employees, is one of the world's largest providers of isotope-related components for radiation therapy and nuclear medicine.
Contributing to saving lives.

About TCL Healthcare Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (TCL)
TCL Healthcare Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is a Chinese manufacturer of imaging diagnostic devices belongs to Chinese electronics group TCL Corporation with more than 16 billion USD revenues. http://sea.tclmedical.com/

About HDR brachytherapy
HDR brachytherapy allows radiation oncologists to deliver the radiation quickly, most often as an outpatient procedure. During this procedure a computer driven apparatus, called a remote afterloading device, pushes the radioactive source attached to a drive wire through transfer tubes and applicators to the treatment site. The radioactive source can be moved in millimeter increments and remain in a certain position (dwell position) for a predetermined amount of time to optimize the dose delivered. When the desired treatment dose has been achieved, the remote afterloading device automatically withdraws the radioactive source so there is no residual radiation or radioactivity. HDR brachytherapy has been used since the 1960s and today is applied to treat cancers in body sites such as gynecological, rectal, prostate and breast. The procedure enables an accurate and precise tumor-specific radiation dose delivery in a shorter course of treatment compared to other types of radiation treatment modalities while preserving the structure and function of the organ(s) treated and nearby.

Your contact:
Eckert & Ziegler AG, Karolin Riehle, Investor Relations
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 / 94 10 84-138, karolin.riehle@ezag.de, www.ezag.com

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