ART Announces the Launch of a North American Pivotal Clinical Study of its SoftScan'R' System.MONTREAL -- The last stage before commercializing this unique and Innovative technology for diagnosing breast cancer ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc.(TSX TSX Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE before April, 2002) TSX Transfer from Stack Pointer to Index TSX True Space Extension :ARA Ara or Arrah (both: ŭ`rə), city (1991 pop. 157,082), Bihar state, NE India, on the Son Canal. A major road and rail junction, it is the administrative center for a district that produces grain, sugarcane, and oilseed. ), in collaboration with the Cedars Breast Clinic of the McGill University Health Centre The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) (in French, Centre universitaire de santé McGill) is a network of five teaching hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, all of which are affiliated with McGill University. (MUHC MUHC McGill University Health Centre (Canada) ), today launched a pivotal clinical study, North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. in scope, the final stage prior to commercializing SoftScan(R), an optical breast imaging system designed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. ART intends to present results of the study in its submission to Health Canada Health Canada (French: Santé Canada) is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health. Health Canada's goal is to improve Canadian life by improving Canadian longevity, lifestyle and use of public healthcare. and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. ) to support its pre-market approval application for SoftScan(R). "It is with great pride and the hope of improving the quality of life for a great many women that we are launching today this SoftScan(R) clinical study that will eventually become North American in scope," explains Ms. Micheline Bouchard, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc. "For the past ten years, we have been the only company in Quebec and Canada to have invested time and major resources to perfect this promising optical imaging technology for the diagnosis of breast cancer." Developed in Quebec, SoftScan(R) has been designed first as a complementary diagnostic tool to mammography mammography, diagnostic procedure that uses low-dose X rays to detect abnormalities in the breasts. The early diagnosis of breast cancer made possible by the routine use of mammography for screening women increases a woman's treatment alternatives and improves her , to be used ultimately for the detection and treatment monitoring of breast cancer. Its non-invasive and pain-free approach uses time-domain optical imaging technology, capable of precision characterization of benign and malignant breast tumours, while maintaining the patient's well-being. Nowadays a suspicious mammogram mammogram /mam·mo·gram/ (mam´o-gram) a radiograph of the breast. mam·mo·gram n. An x-ray image of the breast produced by mammography. is typically followed by a biopsy, even though 80% of cases prove to be negative(1). Ultimately, SoftScan(R) has the potential to significantly reduce the anxiety, pain and suffering experienced by patients. "The SoftScan(R) will be complementary to the mammogram," explains Dr. David Fleiszer, Principal Investigator Noun 1. principal investigator - the scientist in charge of an experiment or research project PI scientist - a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences and Co-Director of the Cedars Breast Clinic of the MUHC. "It will allow us to differentiate between benign and malignant structures in the breasts and thus prevent patients from having to go through unnecessary and unpleasant biopsies." "Early detection using mammography allows for the reduction of the mortality rate attributed to breast cancer, but this is not a perfect diagnostic tool. Optical imaging is presenting itself as a complementary tool that could contribute to a reduction in the number of deaths from breast cancer. We hope to establish that SoftScan(R) will improve our capacity to diagnose breast cancers and are keen on beginning pivotal trials with our patients," indicated Dr. Raymond Taillefer, Research Director, Nuclear Medicine, and Co-principal investigator for the study with Dr. Isabelle Trop, at the CHUM. About the study The study will extend through the year 2006 and will examine 600 to 950 women aged 25 to 60 and older. It will be able to determine the clinical safety of the device and its effectiveness under real conditions of use. This study will be conducted at the Cedars Breast Clinic of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) as well as in additional major centres in North America in the next few months. ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc. is a leader in optical molecular imaging products for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. ART has developed two products based on its innovative technology. The first is eXplore Optix(TM), a molecular imaging device designed for monitoring physiological changes in living systems at the preclinical study phases of new drugs. eXplore Optix(TM) is distributed by GE Healthcare and is used by industry and academic leaders worldwide to bring new and better treatments to patients faster. The second is SoftScan(R), a medical imaging device designed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. ART is commercializing its products in a global strategic alliance with GE Healthcare, a world leader in mammography and imaging. ART's shares are listed on the TSX under the ticker symbol Ticker Symbol An arrangement of characters (usually letters) representing a particular security listed on an exchange or otherwise traded publicly. When a company issues securities to the public marketplace, it selects an available ticker symbol for its securities which investors ARA. Visit ART online at www.art.ca. The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University--the Montreal Children's, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute Montreal Chest Institute is a health centre in Montreal specializing in respiratory medicine. See also
The Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM) is a university hospital centre that provides specialized and ultraspecialized services to a regional and supraregional clientele. CHUM also offers general and specialized hospital services for its immediate service area. These services, which contribute to teaching and research and to the evaluation of health-care technologies and intervention methods, are provided on an integrated network basis. CHUM also contributes to the ongoing promotion of health through its front-line services. CHUM was formed with the merger of three Montreal hospitals: Hotel-Dieu, Notre-Dame and Saint-Luc. CHUM's 10,000 employees, 900 doctors, 330 researchers, 5,000 students and trainees and 800 volunteers serve more than half a million patients every year. www.chumontreal.qc.ca. This press release may contain forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties that would cause actual events to differ materially from expectations. These risks and uncertainties are described in ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc.'s regulatory filings with Canadian Securities Commissions and the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States. (1) "Breast Cancer Screening This article or section recently underwent a major revision or rewrite and needs further review. You can help! X-ray mammography Mammography is still the modality of choice for screening of early breast cancer, since it is relatively fast, reasonably accurate, and : Clinical Guidelines", Annals of Internal Medicine Annals of Internal Medicine (Ann Intern Med) is an academic medical journal published by the American College of Physicians (ACP). It publishes research articles and reviews in the area of internal medicine. Its current editor is Harold C. Sox. , vol. 137, no. 5 (part I), September 3, 2002, p. E355-E356. ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc. (TSX:ARA) |
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