NAIROBI, Kenya--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guided Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: GTHP), a maker of a rapid and painless testing platform based on its patented biophotonic technology, today announced that Nairobi County Health Services Sector has agreed to purchase an additional five LuViva® Advanced Cervical Scans for use in the agency’s cervical cancer screening program.
The five LuVivas are expected to ship in Q1 2016. The planned purchase brings to six the number of LuVivas purchased by Nairobi County with an additional seven units planned for purchase in 2016. When fully implemented, the County will have the capacity to screen more than 12,000 women per month.
“With its immediate results and ease of use, we believe that LuViva is the best option for screening for cervical cancer,” said Nairobi County Chief Officer for Health Dr. Robert Ayisi. “Routine screening, which leads to early detection, combined with other prevention measures, is the best way to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, which is a major problem in East Africa.”
“We believe that working with governments is the most effective way to use LuViva for the early detection of cervical cancer and we are pleased to be working with Nairobi County,” said Gene Cartwright, CEO and President of Guided Therapeutics. “Management is proud to be on the front line, helping to address such a serious issue. LuViva is part of government programs now in Kenya and in Asia and we continue to work with governments in Asia and Latin America to expand its use as a front line tool for cervical cancer screening.”
Cervical cancer ranks number one in cancers of women in Kenya. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and The International Cancer Organization (ICO) Information Centre, there are 10.32 million women in Kenya at risk of developing cervical cancer. The annual number of women diagnosed with cervical cancer is 2,454, with 1,676 dying every year. It is estimated that there are 15 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed each week in Nairobi County. These statistics show that an estimated 12.7 women out of every 100,000 are affected.
Worldwide, the market for cervical cancer screening and diagnostics, as currently practiced using cytology (Pap test) for primary screening, is estimated at $6 billion and is projected to grow to almost $9 billion by 2020. There are about 2.6 billion women aged 15 years and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer worldwide.
About LuViva® Advanced Cervical Scan
LuViva is a technologically advanced diagnostic device that scans the cervix with light and uses spectroscopy to measure how light interacts with the cervical tissue. Spectroscopy identifies chemical and structural indicators of precancer that may be below the surface of the cervix or misdiagnosed as benign. This technique is called biophotonics. Unlike Pap, HPV tests or biopsies, LuViva does not require laboratory analysis or a tissue sample, and is designed to provide results immediately, which may result in eliminating costly, painful and unnecessary additional testing. LuViva is intended for use with women who have undergone initial screening and are called back for follow up with a colposcopy examination, which in many cases, involves taking a biopsy of the cervix. It has also been used in clinical studies in Turkey and Nigeria as a means to screen women for cervical cancer where the availability of infrastructure necessary for Pap and HPV testing is restricted. The device is used in conjunction with the LuViva® Cervical Guide single-use patient interface and calibration disposable.
About Guided Therapeutics
Guided Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: GTHP) is the maker of a rapid and painless testing platform based on its patented biophotonic technology that utilizes light for the early detection of disease at the cellular level. The Company’s first product is the LuViva® Advanced Cervical Scan, a non-invasive device used to detect cervical disease instantly and at the point of care. In a multi-center clinical trial, with women at risk for cervical disease, the technology was able to detect cervical cancer up to two years earlier than conventional modalities, according to published reports. For more information, visit: www.guidedinc.com.
The Guided Therapeutics LuViva® Advanced Cervical Scan is an investigational device and is limited by federal law to investigational use in the U.S. LuViva, the wave logo and "Early detection, better outcomes" are registered trademarks owned by Guided Therapeutics, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer: A number of the matters and subject areas discussed in this news release that are not historical or current facts deal with potential future circumstances and developments. The discussion of such matters and subject areas is qualified by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally and also may materially differ from Guided Therapeutics’ actual future experience involving any of or more of such matters and subject areas. Such risks and uncertainties include those related to the early stage of products in development, the uncertainty of market acceptance of products, the uncertainty of development or effectiveness of distribution channels, the intense competition in the medical device industry, the sufficiency of capital raised in our prior financings and our ability to realize their expected benefits, the uncertainty of future capital to develop products or continue as a going concern, the uncertainty of regulatory approval of products, and the dependence on licensed intellectual property, as well as those that are more fully described from time to time under the heading “Risk Factors” in Guided Therapeutics’ reports filed with the SEC, including Guided Therapeutics’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 and subsequent filings.
