DiagnoCure to integrate ImmunoCyt/uCyt with InPath
2002-12-12 07:03 PT - News Release
Mr. Pierre Desy reports
MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS, INC. AND DIAGNOCURE INC. ENTER INTO ST ...
Molecular Diagnostics Inc. (MDI) (OTC-BB: MCDG) and DiagnoCure have entered into a strategic agreement to integrate DiagnoCure's ImmunoCyt/uCyt molecular assay for the detection and monitoring of bladder cancer with MDI's InPath slide-based test automated microscopy platform.
The agreement is based around a three-year relationship under which MDI will optimize its SBT platform technology specifically for the detection of cells of interest based on staining by the ImmunoCyt/uCyt assay. The companies' plan for the program calls for initial product availability in the first quarter of 2003. The agreement also calls for the companies to co-market the platform over that period to ImmunoCyt/uCyt customers worldwide. Financial terms of the agreement were not identified.
"After an extensive evaluation of different automated microscopy tools and platforms, in view of our needs, the slide-based test clearly provides the most integrated, cost-effective and user-friendly platform available in the market today," said Pierre Desy, DiagnoCure's president and chief executive officer. "We have been working with MDI's team for some time now and it is clear that they have a knowledge base that sets them apart in the field. We look forward to rapidly bringing to market an automated platform that will offer improved economies and efficiencies to our ImmunoCyt/uCyt customers, allowing them to build a new edge with their clinicians."
The InPath slide-based test is a fully integrated automated microscopy system, which includes a robotic microscope and advanced algorithmic software tools that are able to identify and quantify certain cellular attributes from microscopy samples. The SBT platform is currently in clinical trials for use with MDI's proprietary Cocktail-CVX biomolecular assay for the detection of cervical cancer and precancer.
According to Stephen G. Wasko, Molecular Diagnostic's president and chief operating officer: "DiagnoCure is on the leading edge of the evolving urologic disease management field. Their recognition that automation of testing is crucial to rapid and broad market expansion and adoption of the new biomolecular technologies is in perfect alignment with MDI's assessment of the cancer detection and management market generally. We believe this partnership will demonstrate great rewards to both organizations and expect to be introducing this new technology to our common laboratory partners in the coming weeks."
DiagnoCure's biomolecular assay is an immunocytofluorescent assay for the detection of bladder cancer cells in urine and is based on a cocktail of three monoclonal antibodies. With outstanding sensitivity results in both low- and high-grade tumours, ImmunoCyt/uCyt is the perfect complement to cytology and cystoscopies in any bladder cancer monitoring program. The combination of ImmunoCyt/uCyt and cytology increases the confidence of clinicians making sure that they have not missed any cancer. uCyt+ is currently distributed in Canada and in many European countries. In the United States, the test is marketed as ImmunoCyt under authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for monitoring recurrent bladder cancer.
About Molecular Diagnostics Inc.
Molecular Diagnostics develops cost-effective cancer screening systems, which can be used in a laboratory or at the point of care, to assist in the early detection of cervical, gastrointestinal and other cancers. The InPath system is being developed to provide medical practitioners with a highly accurate, low-cost, cervical cancer screening system that can be integrated into existing medical models or at the point of care. Other products include Samba telemedicine software used for medical image processing, database and multimedia case management, telepathology and teleradiology. Molecular Diagnostics also makes certain aspects of its technology available to third parties for development of their own screening systems.
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