iCAD and AdMeTech Foundation sign a strategic partnership agreement

Nov 19 2009

iCAD, Inc. (Nasdaq: ICAD), an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis and workflow solutions for the early identification of cancer, today announces a strategic partnership with the AdMeTech Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to end prostate cancer as a patient care crisis and socio-economic problem. iCAD will be joining the Industrial Liaison Board of AdMeTech’s International Prostate MRI Working Group, which fosters dialogue between leading physicians, prostate cancer advocacy groups and industry to facilitate important technological breakthroughs to provide men with more accurate diagnostics for early detection and treatment of prostate cancer. AdMeTech’s research program was recently funded by Telemedicine and Advanced Technologies Research Center of the Department of Defense through a peer review process.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common major cancers in the United States and the second most lethal cancer in men. The American Cancer Society has estimated that in 2009 more than 192,280 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, 27,360 men will die of prostate cancer, and 1 in 6 men will be affected by this disease over their lifetime. Commonly used diagnostic tests have been shown to have high false positive rates and can cause unnecessary biopsies and treatment in many men. In addition, transrectal ultrasound, while guiding biopsies to the prostate, is not reliable for detecting prostate cancer and thus, results in blind and random diagnostic procedures, which can miss at least 20 percent of cancers.

“Prostate cancer diagnostics today can be compared to mammography 20 years ago, before there was public and private funding to support the innovative research and clinical testing of promising imaging technologies. Early detection is critical for finding a cure, saving lives and improving the quality of life for men with prostate cancer. Imaging technologies provide information on cancer location, extent and aggressiveness, which is critical for individualized patient care,” says Faina Shtern, M.D., president and chief executive officer of AdMeTech. “We hope that by working with industry leaders such as iCAD, leading medical researchers and advocacy groups, we can eliminate “blind” prostate cancer care and promote the development of image-guided, precisely-targeted, minimally-invasive, cost-effective patient care.”

In March 2009, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Prostate Research, Imaging, and Men’s Education Act (PRIME Act). The PRIME Act would authorize NIH to spend $650 million over five years on research on prostate imaging for detection and diagnosis of cancer, improvement of in vitro testing for prostate cancer and public education about the value of regular screening and early detection. In September 2009, upon President Obama’s Declaration of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Senator Boxer wrote a personal letter to every member of the U.S. Senate urging them to co-sponsor this Authorization Bill. One of the first co-sponsors was Senator John Kerry (D-MA), a prostate cancer survivor, who has been vocal about his personal experience.

AdMeTech has developed the International Prostate MRI Working group, modeled on the Breast Cancer MRI Working group, to expedite advancement of MRI and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) technologies and their integration with the treatment of prostate cancer. iCAD is hosting the next meeting of the Group, which will take place on November 29, 2009 in Chicago. iCAD is a member of the working group, providing access to its VividLook™ prostate analysis software. This technology, currently available worldwide, enhances prostate MRI images and helps radiologists distinguish benign from malignant lesions.

“We look forward to partnering with AdMeTech to meet the challenge of advancing research, education and public awareness to improve the diagnostic paradigm for prostate care. A significant step towards this goal would be to have MRI become a standard of care in diagnosis for the patients that undergo approximately 1.2 million biopsies each year in the U.S.,” said Ken Ferry, CEO of iCAD. “The current screening paradigm, utilizing PSA tests, has a high degree of inaccuracy. Programs like the International MRI Working Group, with participation of luminary physicians, researchers and advocates, will help us not only with improved early detection, but also with determination of which patients have a potentially dangerous prostate cancer requiring treatment, and which patients only need to be carefully monitored. We expect that the MRI Working Group will develop and implement strategies to make MRI an industry standard, helping more men receive accurate diagnosis and treatment plans, which ultimately saves lives and reduces healthcare costs.”

Other Prostate Imaging Programs

iCAD recently hosted an educational webinar with Dr. Russell Low, Medical Director at Sharp and Children’s MRI Center. The session, entitled “Prostate MRI – A Paradigm Shift in Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Management” focused on how MRI combined with an advanced quantitative image analysis software solution, (iCAD’s VividLook™), supports improved prostate cancer management. The course included clinical case reviews that demonstrated prostate cancer detection in patients with previously negative prostate biopsy and rising PSA, as well as the use of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI and Quantitative Image Analysis Software (or CAD) to monitor prostate cancer response to radiation therapy.

In addition, a non-RSNA satellite symposium will be held on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 7:00 am Central Time at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, room CC24BC. The session, “How Quantitative Image Analysis CAD and MRI Play an Integral Role in Prostate Cancer Programs Including Pre-biopsy Guidance, Treatment Planning, Active Surveillance and Therapy Response Monitoring,” will include presentations by clinical experts, Dr. François Cornud, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist at the Centre d’Imagerie Tourville and Dr. Low. Specific focus areas include how DCE MRI in conjunction with other MRI imaging techniques can improve the sensitivity and specificity of prostate cancer localization and detection as compared to current imaging practices. Specific case examples will be shared, including how DCE MRI and CAD support improved treatment planning for patients undergoing Cyberknife therapy.