Matritech Signs Exclusive Agreement With The Cleveland Clinic
NMP(R)22 Test is Only Immunoassay to be used for Two Years to Manage Bladder Cancer Patients
NEWTON, Mass., April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Matritech, Inc., (Nasdaq:NMPS) announced that it has signed an exclusive, two-year agreement with The Cleveland Clinic Foundation incorporating its NMP22 Test Kit into the management protocol for bladder cancer patients. Under the terms of the agreement, the NMP22 Test Kit will be the only bladder cancer immunoassay to be used by the Cleveland Clinic for two years. The Urology Department at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation was ranked third in last year's rankings of best hospitals in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.
``This exclusive agreement with The Cleveland Clinic Foundation is further verification of the superiority of nuclear matrix protein testing for cancer,'' said Stephen D. Chubb, chief executive officer, Matritech, Inc. ``We are pleased that our NMP22 Test Kit has been integrated into the management of bladder cancer patients by one of the most prestigious cancer institutions in the world.''
The NMP 22 Test Kit, uses a proprietary monoclonal antibody assay to measure the levels of a nuclear matrix protein (NMP) in the urine. The test is the only, quantitative, non-invasive urine test for transitional cell carcinoma, (TCC), the type of cancer responsible for 90 percent of bladder cancers.
``The NMP22 Test has benefit over the other tests available for bladder cancer monitoring because it can detect cancers at a very early stage through a simple urine test,'' said Dr. Craig Zippe, urologist, Section Urological Oncology, The Cleveland Clinic. ``NMP22 appears to be twice as sensitive as cytology and may provide
predictive information in patients needing aggressive management versus those who need less.''
NMPs are found in the nucleus of cells where they contribute to the structure of the nucleus and various cell functions. NMP22 is found in both normal and cancer cells in the bladder. As cells age, they routinely shed NMPs into urine and blood through a natural process called apoptosis. An increased level of certain NMPs may provide important information about cellular abnormalities including cancer. NMP22 is elevated in the urine of patients with bladder cancer, even at the earliest stages of the disease.
Earlier bladder cancer monitoring methods include urine cytology and cystoscopy. Urine cytology, uses a microscope to check cells in the urine. Cystoscopy is performed by inserting a fiber-optic tube into the bladder through the urethra to look for abnormal cells that signal the return of cancer.
There are over two million people throughout the world who suffer from bladder cancer. There is a 70 percent recurrence rate for bladder cancer so patients must be monitored frequently to detect a recurrence as early as possible. Each year, The Cleveland Clinic Department of Urology provides for 35,000 patient visits.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation continues to advance the frontiers of medicine by providing state-of-the-art care in a multispecialty academic medical center model. Since its founding in 1921, the clinical and hospital care have been integrated with research and education in a private, non-profit group practice which has
distinguished the Cleveland Clinic in American medicine. Today at the Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida, over 850 full-time salaried physicians represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. Every year, the Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida provide for more than 1,182,300 outpatient visits and 49,987 hospital admissions from throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The Cleveland Clinic Health System comprises The Cleveland
Clinic Foundation, Fairview Health System, Lakewood Hospital and Marymount Hospital. This not- for-profit health system will provide broad geographic coverage, a full continuum of care, improved quality and lower cost care to residents of Northeast Ohio.
Matritech, Inc. is dedicated to the development of products to aid in the management of cancer patients. The Company has a number of NMP-based products in various stages of development including tests for early detection of lung, colon, prostate, cervical and breast cancers. |
