ChromaVision Launches New Application to Assist Physicians in Characterizing Tumors in Breast Cancer Patients.SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO San Juan Capistrano (săn wän kăpĭsträ`nō), city (1990 pop. 26,183), Orange co., S Calif.; inc. 1961. San Juan Capistrano has some manufactures, including aircraft parts, medical apparatus, and boats, but the economy is , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 26, 1999-- ChromaVision Medical Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:CVSN), developer of unique cellular imaging diagnostics and manufacturer of the Automated Cellular Imaging System (ACIS)(TM), Tuesday announced that it has released a new application that assists pathologists to more accurately detect the level of HER2 protein in a patient's tumor using the immunohistochemical staining method. The ChromaVision ACIS has undergone extensive clinical evaluation clinical evaluation Medtalk An evaluation of whether a Pt has symptoms of a disease, is responding to treatment, or is having adverse reactions to therapy and validation for this application using trial results from studies involving more than 1,000 patients. Data submitted for publication from side-by-side evaluations show that pathologists using ACIS-assisted analyses of patient tumors are more accurate than the traditional manual method. In one segment of the study, pathologists using ACIS were able to correctly identify patients for treatment in 96 percent of cases, whereas pathologists using conventional manual review were only accurate 65 percent of the time. ChromaVision estimates that approximately 200,000 HER2 diagnostic tests are performed annually. Overexpression (high levels) of the HER2 protein in a breast cancer patient's tumor indicates a particularly aggressive type of cancer and a higher likelihood that the cancer will spread to other parts of the body. The level of HER2 expression is also the primary factor in determining if a patient should receive treatment with Herceptin(R), a new and powerful cancer drug developed by Genentech Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. ). Herceptin has proven effective in treating breast cancer and has a lower occurrence of side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. than many chemotherapy regimens Chemotherapy regimens are often identified with acronyms, identifying the agents used in combination. Unfortunately, the letters used are not consistent across regimens, and in some cases (for example, "BEACOPP") the same letter is used to represent two different treatments. . In order for a patient to receive anti-HER2 treatment, overexpression of the HER2 protein must be documented in the patient's tumor. According to Michael F. Press, M.D., Ph.D., a leading cancer researcher at the Kenneth Norris, Jr. Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission , "The ChromaVision ACIS enables the pathologist to provide an objective and reproducible analysis of HER2 expression which will allow more accurate identification of patients who will benefit from therapy. As a pathologist, this will allow me to be more certain when classifying patients for treatment, as well as to determine what kind of response can be expected from a patient." ChromaVision 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. Douglas S. Harrington, M.D., commented, "The HER2 application is the first in a series of immunohistochemistry-based applications that we are developing to assist pathologists to more accurately characterize tumors and guide therapy. These additional tests will augment the ACIS platform and will allow our customers to benefit from incremental revenue provided by a full menu of these important tests." About ChromaVision Medical Systems ChromaVision Medical Systems manufactures and markets an advanced cellular imaging system designed to advance the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cellular disease. The Automated Cellular Imaging System (ACIS)(TM) combines proprietary, color-based imaging technology with automated microscopy to bring unprecedented sensitivity, accuracy and reproducibility to cancer, infectious disease Infectious disease A pathological condition spread among biological species. Infectious diseases, although varied in their effects, are always associated with viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites and aberrant proteins known as prions. and genetic cell-based diagnostics. ChromaVision currently markets its products to physicians and researchers in university medical centers and commercial laboratories throughout the world. ChromaVision Medical Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:CVSN) was formed by XL Vision Inc., and is a Safeguard Scientifics Inc. (NYSE:SFE See Sydney Futures Exchange. ) partnership company. For more information on ChromaVision Medical Systems Inc., visit the company's Web site at http://www.chromavision.com. The statements contained herein regarding ChromaVision Medical Systems Inc. contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainty. Future events and the company's actual results could differ materially from the results reflected in these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, uncertainty of success in developing any new diagnostic test, failure to obtain 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. clearance or approval for particular applications and dependence on third parties for clinical testing. ACIS is a trademark of ChromaVision Medical Systems Inc. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion