These cooperations aim at strengthening the theranostics centers by enhancing their clinical standards and scaling patient access to radiotheranostics for better patient outcomes.
January 31, 2025 – Wiesbaden, Germany. The International Centers for Precision Oncology (ICPO) Foundation announced the cooperation with five further theranostics centers worldwide to establish them as global ICPO Collaborating Centers. The Foundation is delighted to cooperate with the following state-of-the-art theranostics centers in Baku (Azerbaijan), Ankara (Turkey), Izmir (Turkey), as well as Jesús del Monte (Mexico) and Montevideo (Uruguay). All ICPO Collaborating Centers will promote the ICPO Academy for Theranostics in their countries, as well as foster research and development in the fields of radiotheranostics. The Foundation will provide each center with international visibility within the ICPO theranostics community. Previously, ICPO Collaborating Centers had been successfully established in Australia, China, Dubai, Germany, Egypt, India, Philippines, and South Africa and further expansion is permanent.
Odile Jaume, CEO of the ICPO Foundation, expressed her great enthusiasm for the new collaborations, stating: "It is a great honor to have gained further five state-of-the-art theranostics centers from three different geographical regions into our ICPO Center network. This expansion represents a significant advancement in the global collaboration in the field of radiotheranostics and reflects the growing trust in the standards and best practices established within our ICPO Center network. Numerous theranostics centers recognize the benefits of exchange with experts from the ICPO community. These synergies will enable us to realize our vision of treating a larger number of cancer patients with radiotheranostics and significantly improving patient outcomes."
The following theranostics centers represented by their directors have joined the ICPO Collaborating Center network:
Dr. Fuad Novruzov, Head of Nuclear Medicine Centre, in Baku, Azerbaijan
Established in 2016, the center has been at the forefront of advancing healthcare through cutting-edge technology. It introduced the region's pioneering PET/CT (positron emission tomography/computed tomography) examinations, significantly enhancing the diagnosis of various diseases. Equipped with an in-house cyclotron for radiopharmaceutical production. Moreover, the Centre has already achieved accreditation as a PET/CT Centre of Excellence and is a key participant in the Research for Life - EARL accreditation program by the European Nuclear Medicine Association (EANM), which is recognized as the sole FDG PET/CT facility meeting stringent international protocols in the region.
Dr. Nuriye Özlem Kücük, Head of Ankara University Nuclear Medicine Department, in Ankara, Turkey
The theranostics center is equipped with advanced imaging infrastructure, including a cardiac camera, two SPECT-CT units, two PET-CT devices, and a PET-MR. The nuclear medicine department is also renowned for advanced production of various radiopharmaceuticals. Handling substantial patient volumes, the department processes thousands of orders for radiopharmaceuticals annually, supporting treatments for conditions such as prostate cancer, liver tumors, thyroid disorders, and neuroendocrine tumors.
Dr. Aziz Murat Argon, Head of Nuclear Medicine Department of Nuclear Medicine, at Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
The department has state-of-the-art infrastructure and actively collaborates with international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Over time it has enhanced its capabilities in nuclear medicine diagnostics and therapy. As an IAEA Rays of Hope Anchor Center, the department is committed to training healthcare professionals, promoting research, and fostering regional expertise in nuclear medicine. Ege University Medical Faculty Department of Nuclear Medicine thanks to advanced infrastructure and capabilities is committed to excellence.
Dr. Elizabeth Castro Milla, General Director and Dr. Cecilia Carreras Velázquez, Head of Nuclear Medicine Department, Angeles Lomas Hospital in Jesús del Monte, Mexico
The theranostics center is a state-of-the-art medical center equipped with advanced technology to provide high-quality healthcare. With over a decade of experience, the department offers 177Lu and 131I therapies in dedicated spaces. With quality assurance protocols, a dedicated medical physicist, and some certification already in progress, the hospital also plays a significant role in resident training and theranostics education across Latin America.
Dr. Pablo Duarte Couto, President & Managing Director, Uruguayan Center for Molecular Imaging (CUDIM) in Montevideo, Uruguay
CUDIM is a leading non-profit public institution at the forefront of nuclear medicine in Uruguay. As the only center in Uruguay authorized to perform diagnostics with PET-CT, CUDIM is widely recognized internationally, including by the United Nations IAEA, for its dedication to excellence in diagnostic imaging, monitoring, and treatment.
To further intensify the exchange with the global theranostics community and reach out to new ICPO Collaborating Centers candidates, the ICPO Foundation will be participating in the upcoming conferences: UroTerag LATAM on March 11-12, 2025; ALASBIMN on March 13-16, 2025, both in Cancun, Mexico; ISRT on April 10-12, 2025, in Baku, Azerbaijan; and ARSNM on April 19-20, 2025, in Dubai, UAE.
About ICPO Foundation
The International Centers for Precision Oncology Foundation (ICPO) is a non-profit organization established in 2019 under German law by leading international medical practitioners and life sciences entrepreneurs. Recognizing a paradigm shift in cancer care from one size fits all to a personalized approach, the ICPO Foundation is helping to build momentum to scale global patient access to Radiomolecular Precision Oncology to support this shift. Therefore, the ICPO Foundation aims to develop an international network of physical diagnostic and therapeutic Centers for Precision Oncology organized based on a model of shared know-how, of certified education with the ICPO Academy for Theranostics, and of design and process standardization that enables best clinical practice globally. Furthermore, it is the ICPO Foundation's objective to empower its Centers by embedding them in a highly inclusive Community that spearheads its model and lives up to the Precision Oncology promise by making it available to all patients in need, irrespective of country or social status.
Learn more about the ICPO Foundation at www.icpo.foundation and the ICPO Academy for Theranostics at www.theranostics.academy
Media contact ICPO Foundation
Susanne Simon, Head of Communication & Community
Email: susanne.simon@icpo.foundation
Phone: + 49 172 8666093
www.icpo.foundation