New York City-based Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Adelaide, South Australia-based Numedico Technologies, have signed a Collaboration Development Agreement (CDA). The international collaboration team will design, develop and commercialise a device for the screening and early detection of endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Endometrial and ovarian cancers are the sixth and seventh most common cancers, respectively, in women worldwide.[1] Successful development of this technology will save thousands of lives, millions of dollars, and change the way this disease is diagnosed moving forward.
The project collaboration will utilise Mount Sinai Intellectual Property (IP) together with Numedico’s medical device development and commercialisation expertise, to bring an affordable integrated device to the market for global distribution. The current gold-standard for diagnosing endometrial cancer requires evaluation under general anaesthesia in the operating room by a surgeon. Currently there are no clinically proven screening tests or in-patient procedures that can be used in place of operating room-based hysteroscopy. There are currently no recommended screening tests for ovarian cancer.
Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecologic malignancy, and its incidence and associated mortality are increasing.[2] Ovarian cancer is the most lethal reproductive tract malignancy2. Despite the immediate need to detect these cancers at an earlier stage, there are no effective screening methodologies or protocols. It is estimated by the US National Cancer Institute that in 2017 approximately 60,000 women were diagnosed with endometrial (also known as uterine) cancer and 22,400 women with ovarian cancer. The most disturbing evidence is that last year close to 25,000 women succumbed to these two diseases. In Australia in 2018 it is estimated that approximately 5,000[3] women will be diagnosed with one of these two cancers and nearly 1,500 will die this year. Through the agreement, Numedico acquires all of the Mount Sinai IP and the global rights for the manufacture and distribution of the device.
A spokesman for the project said, "At a time when endometrial cancer is on the increase and ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal female cancers, we need to develop a device for early detection, as early detection leads to higher survival rates. There are no currently available screening tests for these cancers and the diagnostic options for endometrial and ovarian cancers are inherently uncomfortable, quite often require the patient to undergo general anaesthetic, are expensive and best performed in centres of excellence (Operating Room). The aim of the project is to deliver a device that is safe, affordable and available globally".
"We are thrilled to partner with Numedico to bring this technology to the global patient population, and to develop technologies and standards for screening for these two prevalent and potentially lethal cancers of women," said Erik Lium, Senior Vice President of Mount Sinai Innovation Partners.
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