AccuMed International Announces Award of
U.S. Patent for Automated Detection of
Malignancy-Associated Changes
Chicago, April 15, 1999 – AccuMed International, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACMI) announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded AccuMed and its subsidiary numerous computer-aided microscopy patents, and most recently a patent for a “Method and Apparatus for Automatically Detecting Malignancy-Associated Changes.”
Norman J. Pressman, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of
AccuMed, explained “A strong intellectual property portfolio is a key
element of AccuMed's corporate asset and product development
strategy. The newly awarded U.S. patent regarding malignancy-
associated changes (MAC) is an important addition to AccuMed's
growing intellectual property portfolio and a significant milestone
for AccuMed in its early lung cancer screening and diagnosis
commercialization program. AcCell-Savant™ products now offer the
unique combination of patented MAC methods and the benefits of high accuracy, sensitivity and throughput which enable research clinicians and scientists to detect and measure early subtle cellular changes in disease processes that may not be otherwise detectable by visual analyses alone.”
“AccuMed integrated quantitative and proprietary DNA stains and
analytical software with high-precision, computer-aided microscopy
AcCell™ cytology workstations. The resultant AcCell-Savant™ (ACS)
image cytometry products incorporate sophisticated electronic imaging devices and computer software to perform automated assays of cellular DNA that have biological and clinical diagnostic significance. Specifically, these instruments measure many cellular features including the recently patented malignancy-associated changes. AccuMed's MAC methods and instruments are one of our powerful sets of tools for detecting and diagnosing lung cancer at early and more curable stages,” added Dr. Pressman.
David M. Garner, Ph.D., co-inventor of the patent and Senior
Scientist at the British Columbia Cancer Agency (Canada) indicated
“Malignancy-associated changes (MACs) are subtle changes that are
known to take place in the nuclei of apparently normal cells found
near cancer or precancerous tissue. As such, the measurement of MAC features can potentially improve specimen adequacy rates, increase the sensitivity of an early cancer detection screening test, and result in an easier-to-use, simpler, and more reliable assay. Also,
MACs can be used to detect, not only lung cancer, but many other
types of cancer and precancerous conditions.”
Paul F. Lavallee, Chairman and CEO of AccuMed, explained “AccuMed International refocused its business in the fourth quarter of 1998 on cytodiagnostic systems for early disease detection and diagnosis.” Mr. Lavallee added, “The growing global lung cancer epidemic is causing more than one million deaths a year, creating a pressing need for effective screening methods that can substantially reduce mortality from this disease. This is a billion-dollar market
opportunity and AccuMed believes that it can make a major
contribution to a viable and highly effective lung cancer testing
program to aid individuals with early and more curable cancers.”
AccuMed International, Inc., headquartered in Chicago, is a global
advanced cytodiagnostics and information solutions company. AccuMed is an emerging leader in integrated, technology-driven systems that accommodate the diagnostic cytology laboratory's need to maintain quality while achieving more cost-effective operation.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters
discussed in this news release are deemed "forward-looking
statements" under federal securities laws that involve risks and
uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in
the forward-looking statements depending on a number of factors,
including, among other things, the ability to maintain long-term relationships with corporate partners, the ability to bring products to market through the regulatory approval process, uncertainty of future profitability, financing requirements, and other factors detailed in AccuMed's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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For further information
Visit AccuMed's web site at accumed.com
For investor information, contact Paul F. Lavallee
Telephone: (312) 397-7455
FAX: (312) 642-3101
e-mail: ir@accumed.com
Contact:
AccuMed International, Inc.
Paul F. Lavallee, Chairman and CEO
Norman J. Pressman, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer
(312) 642-9200
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