On March 23, 2022 Lucid Diagnostics Inc. (Nasdaq: LUCD) ("Lucid"), a commercial-stage cancer prevention medical diagnostics company, and majority-owned subsidiary of PAVmed Inc. (Nasdaq: PAVM, PAVMZ) ("PAVmed"), reported that it has launched Lucid Test Centers in three new metropolitan areas—Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and Boise, Idaho. Patients in these cities with chronic heartburn, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease ("GERD"), and an order from their own physician or from a telemedicine physician provided to them after self-referral, can now undergo a brief, non-invasive, office-based test to detect esophageal precancer before it progresses to deadly esophageal cancer (Press release, Lucid Diagnostics, MAR 23, 2022, View Source [SID1234610759]). The test centers are staffed with Lucid-employed nurse practitioners who use Lucid’s EsoCheck Cell Collection Device ("EsoCheck") to collect surface esophageal cells which are sent for Lucid’s EsoGuard DNA Esophageal Test ("EsoGuard"). Lucid believes EsoGuard and EsoCheck constitute the first and only commercially available test capable of serving as a widespread screening tool to prevent esophageal cancer deaths, through the early detection of esophageal precancer in at-risk GERD patients.
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"This launch represents another important milestone for Lucid and our EsoGuard commercialization efforts"
"This launch represents another important milestone for Lucid and our EsoGuard commercialization efforts," said Lishan Aklog, M.D., Lucid’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We now have completed the first stage of our Lucid Test Center program, an important pillar of our growth strategy—with test centers in seven metropolitan areas in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest".
"Our experience since the launch of our first test center in Phoenix, approximately six months ago, has validated our commercial strategy, which places a strong emphasis on driving primary care physician (PCP) orders for EsoGuard testing at Lucid Test Centers. During this period, we have honed our sales processes and training programs to drive this strategy. We are well positioned to proceed to the next stage of our Lucid Test Center program, with accelerated expansion into larger states across the nation. We have built a robust compliance program which allows us to proceed with this expansion, including in states with more complex laboratory regulations," Dr. Aklog added.
The new Lucid Test Centers operate in leased medical office suites located in Seattle, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and Boise, Idaho. Each test center is staffed by an EsoCheck-trained nurse practitioner and medical assistant employed by Lucid. Lucid estimates that a single nurse practitioner can perform up to twenty EsoCheck procedures per day and expects each center to cover its personnel and medical office leases costs with only a few tests per week. Each test center will initially be supported with two highly experienced sales representatives targeting PCPs. The test centers will also support Lucid’s EsoGuard Telemedicine Program, operated in partnership with independent third-party telemedicine provider, UpScript, to accommodate EsoGuard self-referrals.
About EsoGuard and EsoCheck
Millions of patients with GERD are at risk of developing esophageal precancer and a highly lethal form of esophageal cancer ("EAC"). Over 80% of EAC patients die within five years of diagnosis, making it the second most lethal cancer in the U.S. The mortality rate is high even in those diagnosed with early stage EAC. The U.S. incidence of EAC has increased 500% over the past four decades, while the incidences of other common cancers have declined or remained flat. In nearly all cases, EAC silently progresses until it manifests itself with new symptoms of advanced disease. All EAC is believed to arise from esophageal precancer, which occurs in approximately 5% to 15% of at-risk GERD patients. Early esophageal precancer can be monitored for progression to late esophageal precancer which can be cured with endoscopic esophageal ablation, reliably halting progression to cancer.
Esophageal precancer screening is already recommended by clinical practice guidelines in millions of GERD patients with multiple risk factors, including age over 50 years, male gender, White race, obesity, smoking history, and a family history of esophageal precancer or cancer. Unfortunately, fewer than 10% of those recommended for screening undergo traditional invasive endoscopic screening. The profound tragedy of an EAC diagnosis is that likely death could have been prevented if the at-risk GERD patient had been screened and then undergone surveillance and curative treatment.
The only missing element for a viable esophageal cancer prevention program has been the lack of a widespread screening tool that can detect esophageal precancer. Lucid believes EsoGuard and EsoCheck are the missing element and constitute the first and only commercially available test capable of serving as a widespread screening tool to prevent esophageal cancer deaths through the early detection of esophageal precancer in at-risk GERD patients.
EsoGuard is a bisulfite-converted NGS DNA assay performed on surface esophageal cells collected with EsoCheck which quantifies methylation at 31 sites on two genes, Vimentin (VIM) and Cyclin A1 (CCNA1). The assay was evaluated in a 408-patient, multicenter, case-control study published in Science Translational Medicine and showed greater than 90% sensitivity and specificity at detecting esophageal precancer and cancer.
EsoCheck is an FDA 510(k) and CE Mark cleared noninvasive swallowable balloon capsule catheter device capable of sampling surface esophageal cells in a less than five-minute office procedure. It consists of a vitamin pill-sized rigid plastic capsule tethered to a thin silicone catheter from which a soft silicone balloon with textured ridges emerges to gently swab surface esophageal cells. When vacuum suction is applied, the balloon and sampled cells are pulled into the capsule, protecting them from contamination and dilution by cells outside of the targeted region during device withdrawal. Lucid believes this proprietary Collect+Protect technology makes EsoCheck the only noninvasive esophageal cell collection device capable of such anatomically targeted and protected sampling. The sample is sent by overnight express mail to Lucid’s third-party CLIA-certified laboratory partner for EsoGuard testing.