IMI LungAlert(TM) test added to international lung cancer screening study
31 October 2003 - 12:57AM
PR Newswire (US)
IMI LungAlert(TM) test added to international lung cancer screening
study TORONTO, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Predictive
medicine company IMI International Medical Innovations Inc.
(TSX:IMI, Amex:IME) announced today that its LungAlert(TM) test for
detection of early-stage lung cancer has been added to a major
international study on lung cancer screening. IMI signed an
agreement to join the Toronto site of the International Early Lung
Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP), currently underway at sites around
the world, and sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and
several medical imaging companies. LungAlert is a non-invasive test
for lung cancer that detects a cancer- associated sugar in a sample
of sputum. Patients cough sputum into a cup and a sample of the
sputum is placed on a LungAlert slide and treated with a series of
chemicals. The resulting color change is read with a
spectrophotometer to provide a numeric LungAlert value. LungAlert
will be integrated into a substudy at the lead Canadian I-ELCAP
site, Princess Margaret Hospital/University Health Network in
Toronto. Led by principal investigator Dr. Heidi Roberts, Associate
Professor of Radiology at the Department of Medical Imaging, 1,000
high-risk patients will each undergo low-dose computed tomography
(CT scan) twice - once at baseline and once at one-year follow-up.
At both time points patients will also be tested with LungAlert.
Data from the study will help determine the ability of LungAlert to
detect cancers among a high-risk population of smokers, and will
also provide data on the relationship between LungAlert values and
the stage and location of cancer. "This will be the largest study
undertaken with LungAlert to date," said Dr. Brent Norton, IMI
President and CEO. "Its ease of use and low cost mean the test is
well-suited to screening use, and studies like I-ELCAP can provide
the essential scientific foundation for its use. Working with
leading institutions like those involved in this study is vital to
building awareness and acceptance for a new approach to screening."
Earlier studies with LungAlert have shown that it detects
early-stage cancers at a time when they can often be cured. The
most recent data was presented in July at the American Association
for Cancer Research annual meeting, and showed that LungAlert
detected 65 per cent of all cancers in a population that included
smokers and people with benign lung diseases. Lung cancer is the
most-common cancer in the world and leading cancer killer,
responsible for 173,000 deaths in North America in 2002. More than
80 per cent of all lung cancers occur in current or former smokers,
of whom there are roughly one billion worldwide. There are
currently no low-cost screening tests available for lung cancer.
"Joining the I-ELCAP is consistent with our strategy of leveraging
partnerships to participate in major studies. IMI will help fund
the LungAlert substudy, but at a level far less than what it would
have cost to undertake a trial of this scope on our own," said Dr.
Norton. About IMI IMI is a world leader in predictive medicine,
dedicated to developing rapid, non-invasive tests for the early
detection of life-threatening diseases, particularly cardiovascular
disease and cancer. The company's lead product is the world's first
non-invasive cholesterol test system. IMI is also developing a
suite of screening tests for cancer, including ColorectAlert(TM)
for colorectal cancer, LungAlert(TM) for lung cancer, and a new
test for early-stage breast cancer. For further information, please
visit the company's web site at http://www.imimedical.com/. This
release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the
company's current expectation regarding future events. The
forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties. Actual
events could differ materially from those projected herein and
depend on a number of factors including, but not limited to,
changing market conditions, successful and timely completion of
clinical studies, uncertainties related to the regulatory approval
process, establishment of corporate alliances and other risks
detailed from time to time in the company's quarterly, annual and
other public filings. DATASOURCE: IMI International Medical
Innovations Inc. CONTACT: Andrew Weir, Director, Communications
(416) 222-3449,
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