Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin

What Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin does

Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin, operating through its BerlinProtonen competence center, is a specialized clinical service providing proton beam therapy for intraocular tumors—primarily uveal melanomas (choroidal, iris, and ciliary body)—as well as other benign eye tumors. The program was established in 1998 in cooperation with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB), whose proton accelerator in Berlin-Wannsee delivers the irradiation. Clinical activities—tumor consultation, pre-treatment imaging, tantalum clip surgery, and follow-up—are conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, while proton beam delivery takes place at the HZB facility in Berlin-Wannsee. The center treats patients referred from within the German statutory health insurance (GKV) system and accepts EU cross-border patients via the Form S2 authorization pathway, with documented patient inflows from Bulgaria, Austria, Poland, and Slovakia. Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin itself is a public corporation under public law (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts), jointly operated by Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and supervised by the Berlin Senate Administration for Science, Health and Care.

The core clinical protocol involves surgical attachment of four-to-six MRI-compatible tantalum clips (~2.5 mm) to the sclera, followed by CT/US/MRI imaging for treatment planning, then sub-millimeter-accurate proton irradiation using a custom thermoplastic facial mask and dental bite block to achieve 0.1 mm head position reproducibility. The center reports a 96% tumor control rate and reached its 5,000th patient milestone in August 2025. Beyond proton therapy, the portfolio includes Ruthenium-106 brachytherapy, Novalis stereotactic radiosurgery at Campus Virchow-Klinikum, CyberKnife (used selectively given ~70.8% 5-year control vs. proton therapy's ~96.4%), and enucleation for advanced cases. Metastatic disease management is coordinated with the Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Hematology/Oncology, including systemic therapies (checkpoint inhibitors, Tebentafusp/Kimmtrak) and PKC inhibitors such as Darovarsetib. The center participates in clinical research including the Treat20 Plus-Studie precision oncology study.

Commercial operations are integrated into Charité's public hospital structure. Proton therapy for qualifying uveal melanoma indications is reimbursed under the GKV per the December 23, 2003 resolution of the Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss, with coverage for non-listed conditions available via prior authorization; international EU patients access treatment via Form S2. The center does not publish pricing and operates without a traditional commercial sales motion. Patient acquisition occurs through ophthalmologist and oncologist referrals, the Charité communications infrastructure (dedicated microsite berlinprotonen.de plus Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, Mastodon, YouTube, LinkedIn, Xing), a patient self-help group, and institutional press. The dataset indicates approximately 10 core staff for BerlinProtonen; the parent Charité organization spans four Berlin campuses (Benjamin Franklin, Charité Mitte, Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin-Buch).

Name

Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin

Legal name

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Website

https://berlinprotonen.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BerlinProtonen, the proton therapy competence center for eye tumors at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin's Campus Benjamin Franklin, provides sub-millimeter-accurate proton beam irradiation for uveal melanoma and other intraocular tumors, operating in partnership with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin since 1998.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Hospital Care (Ocular Radiation Oncology)

NAICS

Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (62231)

SIC

Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Radiation Oncology (HLAKAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Radiation Therapy Planning & Simulation Imaging (CT Sim/MR Sim) (HLAHABAH)

Keywords

• Proton therapy
• Eye tumor treatment
• Ocular oncology
• Radiation oncology
• University hospital

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Proton Therapy Treatment (Statutory Health Insurance): Proton therapy for uveal melanoma not suitable for brachytherapy is a covered benefit of the German statutory health insurance system (GKV) per the Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss resolution of December 23, 2003. Covered conditions include choroidal melanoma near the optic nerve or macula, choroidal/ciliary body melanoma unsuitable for brachytherapy, and iris melanoma. For non-listed conditions (e.g., retinal hemangioma), costs may be covered upon prior application.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BerlinProtonen provides proton beam therapy for intraocular tumors (primarily uveal melanomas of the choroid, iris, and ciliary body) at Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin, delivered in cooperation with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) at its proton accelerator in Berlin-Wannsee. Treatment is preceded by surgical tantalum clip placement for sub-millimeter beam targeting, with patient immobilization via a custom thermoplastic mask and bite block, and planned using fundus, CT, ultrasound, and MRI imaging. The center also offers brachytherapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, CyberKnife, enucleation, and metastasis management in collaboration with the Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Product overview

BerlinProtonen is a specialized competence center for eye tumors at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin. The center offers a comprehensive portfolio of eye tumor treatments centered on proton therapy conducted in partnership with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin. The core offering is proton beam therapy for choroidal, iris, and ciliary body melanomas, preceded by a clip-operation where tantalum markers are surgically attached to enable precise targeting. BerlinProtonen also provides alternative treatments including brachytherapy (ruthenium-106 radiation carriers), stereotactic radiation (Novalis accelerator), Cyberknife, and enucleation for advanced cases. The center works closely with the Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Campus Benjamin Franklin for metastatic disease management, offering immunotherapies and targeted therapies. Treatment is delivered across two locations: consultations and procedures at Campus Benjamin Franklin, and proton irradiation at the HZB facility in Berlin-Wannsee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Treat20 Plus-Studie: A precision oncology study conducted in Berlin investigating the applicability of precision oncology strategies in clinical practice.

Products and services

• BerlinProtonen – Proton Therapy for Eye Tumors Specialized proton beam therapy service for intraocular tumors (choroidal, iris, ciliary body melanomas, and other benign eye tumors) conducted at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin proton accelerator in Berlin-Wannsee, with pre-treatment workup and follow-up at Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin. Operating since 1998 with over 5,000 patients treated.
• Choroidal Melanoma Treatment (Aderhautmelanom) Proton therapy for choroidal melanomas, the primary indication treated at BerlinProtonen. Reported 96% tumor control rate since 1998 while preserving the eye and usable vision in most patients with large tumors.
• Iris Melanoma Treatment (Irismelanom) Proton therapy for iris melanomas, addressing tumors of the iris of the eye.
• Tantalum Clip Surgery (Clip-Operation) Pre-treatment surgical procedure where 4-6 tantalum position markers (approximately 2.5 mm diameter) are sutured onto the sclera of the eye to enable sub-millimeter proton beam targeting. Performed under general anesthesia, takes approximately 45 minutes, requires 3-4 days of inpatient stay.
• Brachytherapy (Ruthenium-106) Treatment with radioactive radiation carriers (Strahlenträger) containing Ruthenium-106 isotope (occasionally Iodine-125). The radiation carrier is surgically attached to the outside of the eye over the tumor and remains for typically 1-10 days to deliver the radiation dose.
• Stereotactic Radiation (Novalis) Highly precise radiation therapy using the Novalis stereotactic accelerator at Campus Virchow Klinikum. Delivers high doses to small areas with patient position control via X-ray fluoroscopy; used in rare exceptional cases for choroidal or ciliary body melanoma.
• CyberKnife Radiosurgery Robotic radiosurgery system with an accelerator mounted on a robot arm allowing radiation from over 100 angles. Used in exceptional cases only (e.g., choroidal metastases), with reported 5-year tumor control of 70.8% versus 96.4% for proton therapy.
• Enucleation (Eye Removal) Surgical removal of the eye, performed only for very large tumors where radiation therapy would likely cause more side effects than eye loss.
• Metastasis Treatment for Uveal Melanoma Treatment options for metastatic uveal melanoma including liver metastases, systemic therapies, immunotherapies (checkpoint inhibitors, Tebentafusp/Kimmtrak), and targeted therapies (PKC inhibitors such as Darovarsetib), delivered through the Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Campus Benjamin Franklin.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% tumor control rate for eye cancer in proton therapy patients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe HZB provides its proton accelerator in Berlin-Wannsee for the proton beam irradiation of eye tumors by Charité. This is a long-standing cooperation (since 1998) where BerlinProtonen uses HZB's specialized proton beam infrastructure dedicated to ocular proton therapy. The HZB provides treatment scheduling, facility access management, and accommodation coordination for patients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wills Eye Hospital: U.S. specialty hospital focused on ophthalmology, including ocular oncology. Comparable as a destination center for intraocular tumor management with overlapping patient population, though Wills Eye primarily treats via plaque brachytherapy rather than protons.
• Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI): Swiss research institute operating one of the world's longest-standing proton therapy programs for ocular tumors, treating uveal melanoma with a dedicated beam line. It is the most directly comparable center to BerlinProtonen globally in terms of technology, indication focus, and clinical track record.
• Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT): German university hospital-operated facility delivering proton and carbon ion therapy, including for ocular and skull-base tumors. Comparable as a German-language, university-affiliated precision radiation therapy center with overlapping referral geography.
• Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Proton Therapy Center: U.S. academic medical center with a dedicated ocular /uveal melanoma proton therapy program operated within the broader MGH radiation oncology service. Comparable as a university hospital-based proton therapy center with published outcomes in the same indication.
• Erasmus MC Ocular Melanoma Center: Dutch university medical center running a dedicated ocular melanoma program with both local radiotherapy options and proton referrals. Comparable as a competing European ocular oncology referral destination.
• Liverpool Ocular Oncology Centre (LOOC): UK-based specialized ocular oncology center providing radiotherapy (including brachytherapy and proton referrals) for uveal melanoma. Comparable as a destination ocular oncology center competing for European referrals.
• West German Proton Therapy Centre (WPE), Essen: University Hospital Essen-operated proton therapy center in Germany offering ocular proton therapy alongside pediatric and other adult indications. Comparable as a German proton therapy competitor within the same national referral pool.

Broad incumbents

• Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCCC): The broader oncology umbrella at Charité that coordinates BerlinProtonen's interdisciplinary work with hematology/oncology and radiation oncology. Comparable as the parent cancer ecosystem in which BerlinProtonen operates and a partner for metastatic uveal melanoma management.
• Mayo Clinic: Major U.S. academic medical center with comprehensive radiation oncology and ocular oncology services. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same clinical space, offering overlapping but more diversified capabilities.
• MD Anderson Cancer Center: Large U.S. cancer center operating a proton therapy facility and broader ocular oncology service. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping capabilities across radiation oncology and ocular tumors, though not specialized exclusively in ocular proton therapy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chariteberlin
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@charite_berlin
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChariteUniversitaetsmedizinBerlin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charit%C3%A9-campus-benjamin-franklin
• Instagraminstagram.com/chariteberlin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin