Purchase Orders to Result in Sales of up to $3 Million in LuViva Devices and Disposables
Guided Therapeutics, Inc. and its Turkish distributor, I.T.E.M. Medical Technologies Group, today announced a major program for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer involving Guided Therapeutics’ LuViva® Advanced Cervical Scan. The program for 2013 and 2014, to be funded by Turkey’s Ministry of Health, would involve the order and placement of up to $3 million worth of LuViva Advanced Cervical Scan devices and associated disposables. In addition, the Ministry of Health will conduct clinical trials to assess the utility of LuViva within a broader national program of cervical cancer control.
“The selection of the LuViva Advanced Cervical Scan for inclusion in Turkey’s cervical cancer prevention program is an honor which speaks to the clinical advantages of our technology, including safety, diagnostic accuracy and economic efficiency,” said Mark L. Faupel, Ph.D., CEO and President of Guided Therapeutics, Inc. “We look forward to working with I.T.E.M. and the Ministry to improve health care for all Turkish women.” Zafer Yazici, CEO and President of I.T.E.M. Medical Technologies Group, added, “We are pleased to be in a partnership with the Ministry of Health and Guided Therapeutics to bring LuViva into clinical practice for cervical cancer prevention. The program is consistent with our commitment to bring advanced medical technologies to this region of the world. We expect that LuViva’s innovative technology will establish Turkey as a leader in cancer control strategies, while raising the bar in women’s healthcare.” Under terms of the program, initial shipments are expected to begin this quarter and last through the end of 2014.
Each year in Turkey, about two million women undergo Pap test screening for cervical cancer, with as many as 200,000 receiving an abnormal Pap result. Recently, human papillomavirus (HPV) screening for women was introduced as an alternative to Pap testing. Women who demonstrate either an abnormal Pap or Positive HPV test are then scheduled for a follow-up exam, called a colposcopy, which typically includes a painful biopsy of cervical tissue. LuViva is designed to be used before colposcopy to identify women without disease and prevent them from receiving unnecessary biopsies. Besides the obvious reduction in patient discomfort, there is also expected to be a reduction in healthcare costs. All of this is accomplished utilizing a painless test that takes about one minute and produces a result immediately at the point of care.
