New Haven-based Precipio Inc. and Yale researchers said they have developed a non-invasive product that can detect gynecological cancers early.
The company said last week it has filed a provisional patent for the product, which it calls Juno after the Roman fertility goddess.
The product is a panty liner that, when worn overnight, collects and preserves cells in vaginal discharge and then is sent to a lab to be analyzed for abnormalities.
Because there are few warning signs and no easy screening tests, cancers of the ovaries, endometrial lining and uterus are often diagnosed at an advanced stage when prognosis is poor, Precipio said.
Patients with Stage 4 ovarian cancer, for example, have only a 17 percent survival rate, compared to 90 percent when the disease is caught early, the company said.
In addition to screening for new cancers, the device is also an inexpensive way to periodically test patients in remission for recurrence, Precipio said.
“This is a ground-breaking product with the potential to materially change the way we diagnose, manage and treat gynecological cancers,” said Dr. Gil Mor, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale School of Medicine and a member of the company’s advisory board.
In other news, New Haven biotech Kleo Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Tuesday it has appointed Luca Rastelli its chief scientific officer.
Rastelli most recently served as vice president for oncology at BioXcel, a Branford pharmaceutical company that recently raised $60 million in an IPO. He has also held positions at Boston Scientifics, CuraGen, Sopherion and EMD Serono (Merck Serono).
Founded by Dr. David Spiegel, professor of chemistry and pharmacology at Yale, Kleo is developing a new class of drugs that uses small molecules to harness the body’s immune system to fight cancer and other diseases.
Natalie Missakian can be reached at news@newhavenbiz.com
