Adelaide-based Numedico Technologies has entered a new collaboration with New York City-based Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The collaboration team will design, develop and commercialise a device for the screening and early detection of endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Endometrial and ovarian cancers are the sixth and seventh most common cancers in women worldwide. Successful development of this technology has the potential to save lives.
The project collaboration will utilise Mount Sinai intellectual property together with Numedico’s medical device development and commercialisation expertise to bring an affordable integrated device to the market for global distribution.
The current gold-standard for diagnosing endometrial cancer requires evaluation under general anaesthesia in the operating room by a surgeon. There are no clinically proven screening tests or in-patient procedures that can be used in place of operating room-based hysteroscopy. There are currently no recommended screening tests for ovarian cancer.
Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecologic malignancy and its incidence and associated mortality are increasing. Ovarian cancer is the most lethal reproductive tract malignancy.
It is estimated that approximately 5,000 Australian women will be diagnosed with one of these two cancers in 2018 and nearly 1,500 will die. Through the agreement, Numedico acquires all of the Mount Sinai intellectual property and the global rights for the manufacture and distribution of the device.
A spokesman for the project said, “At a time when endometrial cancer is on the increase and ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal female cancers, we need to develop a device for early detection, as early detection leads to higher survival rates.
"There are no currently available screening tests for these cancers and the diagnostic options for endometrial and ovarian cancers are inherently uncomfortable, quite often require the patient to undergo general anaesthetic, are expensive and best performed in centres of excellence. The aim of the project is to deliver a device that is safe, affordable and available globally."
“We are thrilled to partner with Numedico to bring this technology to the global patient population, and to develop technologies and standards for screening for these two prevalent and potentially lethal cancers of women,” said Erik Lium, senior vice president of Mount Sinai Innovation Partners.