I n t e l l i g e n t D e s i g n a n d D e v e l o p m e n t | |
| | PRESS RELEASE "Lucent Medical Systems to License Cancer Technology" Kirkland, WA - Lucent Medical Systems today announced it has signed an option for exclusive rights to develop and market a proprietary system to detect Barrett’s esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition typically brought on by prolonged heartburn. Lucent Medical Systems signed the agreement with the Washington Research Foundation for the technology developed by researchers at the University of Washington. The new, low-cost system will screen heartburn patients for Barrett’s esophagus in a physician’s-office setting. Patients with Barrett’s esophagus are 40 times more likely than the general population to develop cancer of the esophagus. Esophageal adenocarcinoma, a form of esophageal cancer, is one of the most rapidly increasing, and most lethal, cancers in the United States today. According to Christopher Somogyi, Lucent Medical Systems President and CEO, more than 50 million Americans suffer from heartburn at least once per week, with 10-15 million experiencing severe symptoms once a day. From this group, more than 2 million will develop Barrett’s esophagus, Somogyi said. The condition is currently diagnosed by upper endoscopy, an expensive procedure performed only by a specialist. Of the more than 2 million people believed to have Barrett’s esophagus, only an estimated 5 percent are currently diagnosed, he added. "This is a significant clinical issue," Somogyi pointed out. "There’s an urgent need to identify this patient population before cancer develops and while treatment options are still viable." He said the challenge in product design is taking into account the economic realities of assessing this large patient population. The company is focusing resources on cost-effective disposable-device designs to keep per-patient use costs to a minimum. This will allow the screening of many more people who may have Barrett’s esophagus but are currently undiagnosed. Dr. Brian Reid, Associate Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and leader of the Seattle Barrett’s Project at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center added, "We are concerned about the rapid increase of esophageal cancer, particularly adenocarcinoma, and know that low-cost screening for Barrett’s is an important way to identify those at risk." Most chronic heartburn sufferers have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), a condition in which stomach acid backs up into the esophagus on a consistent basis, potentially damaging esophageal tissue. Prolonged acid reflux can cause Barrett’s esophagus, a condition in which the normal squamuous lining of the lower esophagus is transformed into abnormal pre-cancerous tissue. To effectively evaluate the large at-risk population of GERD sufferers, researchers are developing a specialized, disposable optic probe that can detect changes in the lining of the esophagus caused by Barrett’s. Primary-care physicians will be able to use the probe with a small analysis unit in an office setting. The information collected by the probe will aid the physician in determing a course of treatment, or in deciding if an immediate referral to a gastrointestinal specialist is warranted. This new detection technology has received research support from a National Science Foundation grant to the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Lucent Medical Systems was founded in 1994 to commercialize cost-saving medical inventions whose initial research and proof of concept was conducted by researchers at the University of Washington. The company received start-up funding from private investments, including JAFCO (formerly the Japan Associated Finance Corporation) and the Rathmann Family Foundation. The company was also awarded Small Business Innovation Research grants from the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health.
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