VALENCIA, SPAIN - Zenosense, Inc., a healthcare technology company primarily focused on developing and marketing a device to detect the MRSA "Super-Bug," announces that it has expanded its development operations to include a device intended to detect lung cancer in exhaled breath.
Zenosense has agreed with its existing MRSA device development partner, Sgenia, to immediately commence work on the development of a Lung Cancer ("LC Device") in parallel with the MRSA device. Similar technology and detection principles used in the MRSA device (under development since December, 2013) will be applied. A revised budget for both developments calls for an estimated $1,411,000 in addition to the approximately $527,000 that has been applied to date.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the US. A low five-year survival rate of 16% is due primarily to late-stage diagnosis. Surgery is often curative if the cancer is diagnosed early (stages I and II) but only 30% of non-small cell lung cancer (most lung cancer instances) are made at these early stages. Lung cancer is not simple to diagnose and several types of tests are available to help in this. Typically, a physician suspecting lung cancer in a symptomatic patient may, amongst other confirmatory tests, refer the patient for an expensive Tomography scan, followed by biopsy for definitive confirmation if a scan is indicative of lung cancer.
The Company believes a vast global opportunity exists for a LC Device for use at the point of care at a fraction of the cost of a Tomography scan. Zenosense believes a LC Device matching or exceeding the accuracy of a Tomography scan, while also being affordable in the basic primary care setting (such as a family physician), would be in universal demand as a complimentary, indicative test. Universal screening during symptomatic examinations and regular health check-ups would greatly increase the chance of early detection of lung cancer prior to referral for additional tests and a definitive biopsy if required, which is critical to achieving the best clinical outcome.
Both the prospective LC and MRSA devices target the detection of certain volatile organic compounds ("VOCs") present in the breath of affected patients. A substantial amount of work has already been undertaken on the MRSA device. The Company is satisfied that the development team of experts in nanotechnology, sensors, high-level mathematics, molecular biology and biochemistry is well placed to deliver these devices. Furthermore, the Sgenia patent pending sensor technology provides the potential to manufacture these devices using standard components and consequently offer them at a lower cost.
Collaboration and partnerships are in place with hospitals, universities and a private laboratory in the fields of sensors, polymer electrochemistry, microbiology, infectious disease, pneumology, chromatography and microorganism identification. Sgenia is also in advanced discussions regarding a formal collaboration with a prestigious hospital in Madrid. This hospital has conducted substantial trials on cancer VOCs and holds significant data directly applicable to the development of a LC Device.
Find out more at http://www.zenosense.net
Contact:
Zenosense, Inc.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +34 960 454 202
Web: http://www.zenosense.net