The Burrill Report

I’m of the age where I can remember the film Fantastic Voyage, where a team of doctors is miniaturized to go into an important scientist’s body to repair a blood clot in his brain. I’m also at the age where my children chide me for not having yet had a colonoscopy as a preventive measure in the early detection of colorectal cancer—something I’ve held out doing partly because... well, it is so invasive and time-consuming. Now, I have a new reason to delay: If I can hold out a couple more years, I may be able to swallow a capsule that will survey my intestines and send images to my doctor via a band worn on my wrist.

The Israeli startup Check-Cap is developing an ingestible and disposable imaging capsule that may help detect colorectal cancer. The company, which garnered investment from the GE healthymagination Fund this month, uses low energy X-ray technology to create a reconstructed 3D image of the colon and to detect clinically significant polyps with a high degree of sensitivity. The capsule will require no bowel cleansing before ingestion and no hospital visit, allowing patients to go about their daily routines without having to alter their activities.

“Check-Cap’s technology is not only innovative, but it presents great promise to change the standard of patient care and to help them avoid the discomfort of traditional colonoscopies,” says Mike Harsh, GE Healthcare’s Chief Technology Officer.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and the second in women, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Almost 60 percent of the cases occur in developed regions. About 608,000 deaths from colorectal cancer are estimated worldwide annually, accounting for 8 percent of all cancer deaths and making it the fourth most common cause of death from cancer. In the United States, colorectal cancer is the third most common and the second leading cause of cancer death. Early detection and treatment give a patient the best chance of beating the disease.

The GE healthymagination Fund investment is its first in Israel and is aligned with its expanding focus on colon cancer management solutions that can improve healthcare globally, as well as its broader goal of reducing cost, increasing patient access and improving quality in healthcare.

GE’s investment is also part of a broader collaboration between the companies where GE Healthcare–Israel will develop, design and produce the miniature cadmium zinc telluride diagnostic imaging sensors inside each Check-Cap capsule to enable clinicians to obtain full 360-degree imaging as the capsule travels in the colon. It is an area where GE has a lot of experience as similar technologies have been used in its nuclear medicine and bone densitometry systems.

Check-Cap plans to introduce its ingestible imaging capsule in the European Union in late 2013, subject to CE Mark regulatory approval. The company also is in discussions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concerning appropriate clinical activities to support approval to market the product in the United States.

“Colon cancer is the most deadly, preventable cancer that patients currently experience,” says Guy Neev, CEO of Check-Cap. “Our goal is to reduce patient mortality by facilitating dramatically increased patient adherence with the physician screening recommendations, allowing earlier detection and treatment. GE’s experience in the imaging space will be a significant contribution to our efforts as we progress in our clinical and regulatory program towards commercialization.”


February 10, 2012
http://www.burrillreport.com/article-yesterday%e2%80%99s_science_fiction_tomorrow%e2%80%99s_reality.html