Product innovation continues to advance under scientific leadership of company’s founder, W. David Lee
Wellesley, Mass., Aug. 10, 2017— Lumicell, Inc., a technology leader in the field of image-guided cancer surgery, today announced the company’s progress with its product development of the Lumicell System, as well as the expansion of patent protection for the company’s product and technologies. The foundation of Lumicell’s product development plan is the integration of three proprietary components: the immuno- and cancer-targeted optical contrast agent LUM015, the Lumicell handheld imaging device, and the company’s customized software for real-time display.
Lumicell’s new developments with product advancements and patents include:
- Rapid next-generation advancement for Lumicell’s handheld imaging device, including completion of the development of its second-generation handheld detector which will be used in the lead clinical studies in breast cancer, as well as in additional concurrent human trials in other indications, including prostate, colorectal, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers. Work has already begun on the third-generation device that will dramatically improve functionality and ease of use in the operating room.
- Enhancements to Lumicell’s customized software to enable real-time imaging to appear instantly on a monitor at the operating table.
- Continued progress with Lumicell’s intellectual property portfolio, including a recent grant by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (PTO) of a patent that broadly protects the use of a fluorescent imaging agent to detect tumor cells during surgical resection. This new patent complements Lumicell’s existing issued patents, and, additionally, the company has more than 15 pending patent actions currently underway.
“We are on a strong trajectory to bring our Lumicell System to meet the needs of cancer patients, based on the solid foundation of product innovation and intellectual property work that are key to our platform’s long-term success,” said Kelly Londy, Chief Executive Officer of Lumicell. “We continue to grow and strengthen our capabilities to develop a revolutionary product that can provide real-time visual identification of residual cancer during surgeries, offering patients and surgeons a new approach with the potential to improve surgical outcomes and avoid the need for repeat cancer surgeries.”
Under the leadership of W. David Lee, Lumicell’s founder and CEO from inception to mid-2017, the product development for the Lumicell System has achieved significant accomplishments. The product’s clinical milestones include successful completion of a Phase 2 feasibility study in patients during breast cancer surgeries demonstrating 100% detection of residual cancer, and an earlier first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial published in Science Translational Medicine. Mr. Lee will continue to drive the company’s focus on innovation, new product development and the next generation of Lumicell technology as President and Chief Scientific Officer. He also continues to hold a position at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrated Cancer Research. Prior to joining Lumicell, Mr. Lee was a founder and CEO of T2 Biosystems. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles and was SVP of Arthur D Little Technology and Product Development Business Unit.
“The opportunities for Lumicell are more exciting than ever as we enter the next stage of growth and accelerate the development of our platform and product pipeline to realize our founding vision to deliver our Lumicell System to revolutionize how cancer is detected in the operating room,” said W. David Lee, President and Chief Scientific Officer. “I am energized by our expanded leadership team that is enabling our company to grow in all the dimensions of our business to maximize the value we bring to building our business and improving outcomes for patients.”
Andrey Zarur, Chairman of the Board for Lumicell, said “David’s unique skill for applying concurrent engineering – the convergence of engineering and biological research – as a means to accelerate new innovation has allowed him to continually leverage today’s capabilities, anticipate tomorrows needs and apply his expertise to new ideas to solve critical problems. Lumicell is the result of David’s passion in action and we want to thank him and recognize all his work as founder and CEO that has enabled Lumicell to reach this inflection point of product development approaching pivotal studies and commercialization.”
About Lumicell, Inc.
Lumicell is a technology leader in the field of image-guided cancer surgery. The company is developing a revolutionary intraoperative margin assessment system that gives surgeons real-time visual feedback of residual cancer in the tumor bed. Lumicell’s surgical system includes a margin-targeted injectable optical contrast agent and a novel hand-held imaging device with exquisite single-cell detection. The unprecedented ability to see and remove all cancer cells during the initial surgery has the potential to significantly improve surgical outcomes and reduce healthcare costs by eliminating the need for repeat surgeries. Lumicell is investigating its cavity assessment system in patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer, sarcomas, and gastrointestinal cancer. Additional future indications are planned to include surgeries for lung, prostate, ovarian, and brain cancers. For more information, please visit www.lumicell.com.
