—Award Honors Arizona Company That Demonstrates Significant Technological and Scientific Advances—
—VisionGate's 3D Cell-CT™ Imaging System and LuCED™ Test Being Developed for Early Detection of Lung Cancer—
PHOENIX, Nov. 18, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VisionGate, Inc., a company developing a revolutionary non-invasive test for the early detection of lung cancer, today reported that it was awarded the 2011 Arizona Governor's Celebration of Innovation Award for Innovator of the Year–Start-Up Company. VisionGate is developing LuCED™, a non-invasive lung cancer screening test that analyzes cells using the company's breakthrough automated Cell-CT™ system. LuCED is initially being developed for use in conjunction with x-ray computed tomography (CT) screening to reduce false positive rates in early lung cancer detection. Data supporting the utility of the VisionGate technology were presented at a prestigious lung cancer conference earlier this year, and VisionGate recently entered several strategic partnerships for the clinical assessment of the LuCED technology.
"We are honored to be named the Arizona Start-Up Company Innovator of the Year," commented Alan Nelson, PhD, chairman and CEO of VisionGate. "We believe that the scientific and corporate advances we achieved over the past year provide a solid foundation for the accelerated development of the Cell-CT technology and LuCED test now underway. By combining the high accuracy and cost effectiveness of our non-invasive LuCED diagnostic with the proven ability of CT screening to reduce lung cancer deaths, we hope to make mass screening feasible and affordable."
VisionGate received the Governor's Celebration of Innovation Award in recognition of its significant business success, technical innovation and scientific achievements over the past year. The award recognizes the Arizona start-up company best demonstrating innovation involving technology and potential commercial viability.
"VisionGate is an outstanding example of how the innovative environment that exists in Arizona enables visionary entrepreneurs, leading academic scientists, innovation-oriented investors and targeted local resources to align in order to build new enterprises with the potential to create jobs and save lives," said Don Cardon, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. "VisionGate's breakthrough 3D imaging technology has the potential to help detect lung cancer at its earliest stages, when curative treatment is still possible. We are proud this promising technology is being developed here in Arizona."
In a July 2011 presentation at the International Academy for the Study of Lung Cancer's 14th World Conference on Lung Cancer, VisionGate showed how LuCED harnesses the power of 3D imaging to accurately detect cancer cells in sputum samples from individuals at high-risk of lung cancer, without the use of x-rays. LuCED works with the company's automated Cell-CT platform to produce detailed 3D images of the cells contained in sputum samples, which the system automatically analyzes to identify key features, or biosignatures, associated with potential malignancy. The analysis yields a score that indicates whether or not cancer cells are present in the sample. The Cell-CT system produces strikingly clear and comprehensive 3D images of the cells, enabling extremely accurate classifications.
The proposed first application of LuCED is as an adjunct to reduce the false positive results from x-ray CT lung cancer screening. The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) landmark National Lung Screening Trial of more than 53,000 current and former smokers showed that low-dose helical CT screening of these high-risk individuals reduced lung cancer deaths by 20% compared to standard chest x-rays. However, the broad utility of the approach is hampered by the high rate of false positive results seen in the study—according to the NCI, more than 96% of the positive results from low-dose CT screening over three rounds of testing turned out to be false positive findings. These false positive test results are especially problematic because they require follow-up care that results in unnecessary invasive procedures for many patients and significantly higher costs for the healthcare system as a whole, as well as causing potential psychological trauma to patients.
About the Governor's Celebration of Innovation and the Arizona Technology Council
The Governor's Celebration of Innovation (GCOI) is the Arizona Technology Council's annual awards gala that honors technology leaders and innovators from across the state. The event attracts more than 1,000 attendees each year. GCOI was held at the Phoenix Convention Center on Thursday, November 17. The Arizona Technology Council is a non-profit trade association founded to connect, represent and support the state's expanding technology industry. The Council strives to distinguish Arizona as a leader in the technology community. For more information, visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.
About VisionGate
VisionGate, Inc. is developing a revolutionary non-invasive test for the early detection of lung cancer, using its automated 3D cell imaging platform, the Cell-CT™, which generates high-resolution 3D biosignatures from intact cells using a sputum sample. The company's LuCED™ test is initially being developed for adjunctive use with low dose x-ray computed tomography (CT) screening for the early detection of lung cancer in high risk individuals. Adjunctive use of LuCED to better manage the high rate of false positive results in CT screening could increase the utility and cost effectiveness of the approach, which has been shown to decrease lung cancer deaths in former and current smokers. For more information, visit www.visiongate3D.com.