Kaiser Permanente Adopts Matritech's NMP22 Bladder Cancer Test
Kaiser's Extensive Clinical Evaluation Further Supports Non-Invasive Test's Superior Sensitivity and Economic Advantages
NEWTON, Mass., June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Matritech, Inc., (Nasdaq:NMPS) announced today that Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, one of the nation's leading health care organizations, has adopted Matritech's NMP22(R) Test Kit to monitor all of its bladder cancer patients for disease recurrence. The NMP22 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.
More than two million people worldwide suffer from bladder cancer. Recurrence rate for bladder cancer is high -- about 70 percent, so patients must be monitored frequently to detect a recurrence as early as possible. This test allows for earlier detection of recurrence and is painless for the patient compared with oystoscopy.
``Our clinical evaluation of the NMP22 Bladder Cancer Test indicated an overall 87% sensitivity among patients with bladder cancer irrespective of the aggressiveness of the tumor,'' said Dr. Jon Kaswick, Urology Oncologist, at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. The test has significant benefit over other bladder cancer tests because it detects cancer at a very early stage through a simple urine test. There are also substantial economic advantages for the Kaiser network because the NMP22 Test provides the urologist with predictive information which helps to identify patients who need aggressive management from those who need less, thus improving overall patient management.
More than 200 bladder cancer patients being treated at 5 hospitals in the Kaiser network participated in the clinical evaluation conducted by principal investigator, Dr. Eugene Rhee. Based on the results of this clinical evaluation, Kaiser selected the NMP22 Test Kit to use in the management of bladder cancer patients. ``The test also brings greater patient comfort since it is non-invasive,'' added Dr. Kaswick.
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.
The NMP22 Test uses a proprietary monoclonal antibody assay to measure the levels of a nuclear matrix protein (NMP), NMP22, in the urine. NMPs are found in the nucleus of cells where they contribute to the structure of the nucleus and various cell functions. An increased level of certain NMPs may provide important information about cellular abnormalities including cancer. NMP22 is elevated in the urine of bladder cancer, even at the earliest stages of the disease.
Kaiser Permanente is one of America's leading health care organizations. Founded in 1945, it is a non-profit, group practice program with headquarters in Oakland, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 7.7 million members in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Today, it encompasses Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and the Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide they include more than 90,000 technical,
administrative and clerical employees and 10,000 physicians representing all specialties.
Matritech, Inc., based in Newton, Mass., is using its proprietary nuclear matrix protein (NMP) technology, discovered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and licensed exclusively to Matritech, to develop and commercialize innovative serum-, cell- and urine-based NMP diagnostics that enable physicians to reliably detect and monitor the presence of bladder, colorectal, cervical, breast and prostate cancers.
SOURCE: Matritech, Inc. |
