Mauna Kea Technologies Announces the Signature of a Strategic Partnership With University of Edinburgh for Novel Optical Biopsy Device for Pulmonary Applications
PARIS, Nov 21, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --
Mauna Kea Technologies (EURONEXT PARIS: MKEA), leader in the
optical biopsy market and developer of Cellvizio(R), the fastest way
to see cancer, today announced that it has entered into a research
agreement through a collaboration negotiated by Edinburgh BioQuarter
and the University of Edinburgh to develop a novel molecular imaging
device for use in conjunction with Cellvizio. If successful, the
combined technology could dramatically change the way physicians
diagnose and monitor patients with lung disease.
Mauna Kea Technologies will be working with a multidisciplinary team
of scientists and physicians from the Medical Research Council Centre
for Inflammation Research (CIR) in the Queen's Medical Research
Institute (QMRI) and the School of Chemistry at the University of
Edinburgh. The collaboration will enable the development of a device
to be used with QMRI's clinical-grade novel molecular imaging
Smartprobes which selectively generate fluorescent signals that can
then be imaged with Cellvizio.
"The ability to precisely deliver a molecular imaging Smartprobe to
the lung and then perform optical biopsies with Cellvizio has the
potential to revolutionize pulmonary medicine leading to rapid
diagnosis, personalized tailored therapy and monitoring. This is an
exciting and ground-breaking strategic partnership that we hope will
lead to significant healthcare benefits. The initial focus will be in
patients with life-threatening inflammatory lung disease in intensive
care where rapid diagnosis and accurate monitoring is imperative,"
said Kev Dhaliwal, M.D., Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at
the CIR.
Mauna Kea Technologies will also collaborate on this project with the
Department of Bioengineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake
City, Utah. University of Utah researchers have been utilizing the
Cellvizio Lab system since 2009 and will leverage their significant
experience to expedite the device development process.
"The addition of molecular imaging capabilities to Cellvizio's
optical biopsies is a logical next step for the company. Mauna Kea
Technologies recently introduced its Cellvizio Dual Band for use in
pre-clinical imaging at the World Molecular Imaging Congress. Since
then, interest in our Dual Band has been very strong within the
research community. The collaboration with Edinburgh BioQuarter at
the University of Edinburgh and the University of Utah demonstrates
our ongoing commitment to remain at the forefront of optical biopsy
innovation," said Sacha Loiseau, CEO and Founder of Mauna Kea
Technologies.
About Mauna Kea Technologies
Mauna Kea Technologies is a global
medical device company dedicated to the advent of optical biopsy. The
company researches, develops and markets innovative tools to
visualize and detect cellular abnormalities during endoscopic
procedures. Its flagship product, Cellvizio(R), a probe-based
Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (pCLE) system, provides physicians and
researchers high-resolution cellular views of tissue inside the body.
Large, international, multicenter clinical trials have demonstrated
Cellvizio's ability to help physicians more accurately detect early
forms of disease and make treatment decisions immediately. Designed
to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs within a hospital,
Cellvizio can be used with almost any endoscope. Cellvizio has 510(k)
clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European
CE-Mark for use in the GI tract, biliary and pancreatic ducts and
lungs.
About BioQuarter
Edinburgh BioQuarter is a joint venture between
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., the NHS, the University of
Edinburgh and Scottish Enterprise. Edinburgh BioQuarter
commercializes world-leading medical research and brings investors,
ideas and companies together at the BioQuarter campus on the
outskirts of Edinburgh. www.bioquarter.com
About the University of Edinburgh:
Founded in 1583, the University
of Edinburgh has for more than 400 years been one of the most
influential centres of knowledge in the world. Located in the
Scottish capital, among the great figures who have studied at
Edinburgh are naturalist Charles Darwin, philosopher David Hume,
telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell and former British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown. Pioneering research linked to Edinburgh
includes the discovery of chloroform, the TB vaccination, microchips
which power iPod music players and the cloning of Dolly the Sheep.
Today Edinburgh is home to nearly 28,000 students.
About University of Utah
The University of Utah, located in Salt
Lake City in the foothills of the Wasatch Range, is the flagship
institution of higher learning in Utah. Founded in 1850, it serves
more than 31,000 students from across the United States and the
world. With more than 72 major subjects at the undergraduate level
and more than 90 major fields of study at the graduate level,
including law and medicine, the university prepares students to live
and compete in the global workplace. Learn more about all the U has
to offer online at http://www.utah.edu.
For more information on Mauna Kea Technologies, visit
www.maunakeatech.com
United States
Lazar Partners Ltd.
Media
Erich Sandoval
Tel: +1 917 497 2867
esandoval@lazarpartners.com
Investor Relations (U.S.)
David Carey
Tel: 212-867-1762
dcarey@lazarpartners.com
Mauna Kea Technologies
Alexander Bryson
Marketing Communications and Brand Manager
Tel: +33 (0) 1 70 08 09 92
alex@maunakeatech.com
France and Europe
NewCap.
Investor Relations
Pierre Laurent / Florent Alba
Tel : +33 1 44 71 94 94
maunakea@newcap.fr
SOURCE: Mauna Kea Technologies
mailto:esandoval@lazarpartners.com
mailto:dcarey@lazarpartners.com
mailto:alex@maunakeatech.com
mailto:maunakea@newcap.fr
[ Back To Cisco News 's Homepage ]
|