15th Feb 2008 07:00
For further information, please contact: Medical Solutions plc Nick Ash Managing Director Tel: 0115 973 9010 www.medical-solutions.co.uk Bishopsgate Communications Ltd Nick Rome/Gemma O'Hara Tel: 0207 562 3350 www.bishopsgatecommunications.com15 February 2008 Medical Solutions plc ("Medical Solutions" or "the Company") EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
Medical Solutions to distribute the TriPath Imaging, Inc. FocalPoint automated cytology screening system
Medical Solutions plc , the provider of expert histopathology services and liquid based cytology products to the NHS and private healthcare, is pleased to announce that it has entered into an exclusive agreement with TriPath Imaging, Inc. to be the UK distributor for the FocalPoint location guided screening system for automated cytology screening.
This represents an addition to the Company's existing agreement with TriPath Imaging, Inc. ("TriPath") as the exclusive UK distributor of the SurePath liquid based cytology ("LBC") system which is widely used for cervical cancer screening in the UK.
HIGHLIGHTS
* Exclusive distributor of FocalPoint in the UK; * The exclusive distribution agreement will form an integral part of the Company's strategy to be a leading provider of expert services and products to the NHS; * Medical Solutions continues to adopt new technologies and to enhance its portfolio of complementary products and services; and * Further collaboration with TriPath expected following clinical assessment trials as the companies cement their strong relationship.
FocalPoint is highly complementary to the existing Medical Solutions cytology business. This platform enables the automated screening of cytology slides produced using the SurePath system which Medical Solutions already distributes and supports.
The UK Pathology Modernisation Program, which is being overseen by Lord Carter, is high on the Government's agenda and one important aspect of improving efficiency is automation.
With over 3.5 million cytology slides manually screened for cervical cancer every year in the UK, and with each screener looking at a maximum of 30 slides per day, cytology lends itself to automation. The Government is currently assessing FocalPoint as a primary screening tool as part of a Health Technology Assessment trial in Manchester. Meanwhile other centres in UK are also assessing FocalPoint as a quality control technology for cytology.
FocalPoint will extend Medical Solutions' penetration into the cervical screening market, and enable it to work more closely with laboratories and Trusts in improving the efficiency of their cervical screening program.
Dr Nick Ash, Managing Director said "The addition of the FocalPoint location guided screening platform to the existing exclusive distribution agreement demonstrates the strength of the relationship between Medical Solutions and both TriPath Imaging, Inc. and its parent company Becton, Dickenson & Company ("BD").
"Whilst completing the LBC roll out programme in the UK, we have been investing in studies designed to evaluate an automated approach to cervical screening. Studies conducted within the NHS have already demonstrated that automated location guided screening can be an effective quality control tool when used in combination with the existing cervical screening methods. Other studies are underway to compare its accuracy and cost effectiveness with manual screening."
Dr Ash added "We expect further collaboration with TriPath and BD, and we are currently undertaking clinical assessment trials on other TriPath and BD products in the UK, working closely with their research and development team."
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About Medical Solutions
Medical Solutions plc is a leading provider of expert, quality services and products to the healthcare, pharma biotech and life science research sectors. Its Healthcare operations provide screening and reference laboratory diagnostic testing for cancer and other diseases and additional predictive testing for treatment optimisation for clinicians and patients. Pharma Biotech Services offers support for early stage therapeutic development, offering a "one-stop shop" from tissue pathology, immunohistochemistry, sophisticated image analysis, biomarker determination and assay development to pharmacogenomics including genotyping and gene expression analysis. The Life Science Research services provide core laboratory research support from conceptualization to implementation, calling upon a wide range of cutting-edge technology platforms including an online catalogue of biomolecular tools. This incorporates DNA sequencing, whole genome amplification and a comprehensive library of genomic reagents and clones including cDNA and RNAi.
The group has its headquarters in Nottingham, UK where it operates state of the art reference laboratory facilities, with additional UK laboratory facilities in Cambridge and Oxford. Medical Solutions is CPA and GLP accredited and is licensed by the Human Tissue Authority.
About Focal Point and location guided screening
Assessment trials are underway or completed in England, Wales and Ireland on the FocalPoint automated imaging system for use in cervical cancer screening. The system firstly automatically scans cervical cytology slides and then, using sophisticated algorithms, the location guided screening platform guides the cytology screener to areas on a slide where there may be abnormal cells present, possibly indicating the presence of cervical cancer. The FocalPoint system identifies ten fields of view where it determines abnormal cells may be present, to which it then guides the screener. This compares with the 60 fields of view that a screener would normally review of each slide. Since there is no loss of accuracy this represents a significant potential benefit to the speed and efficiency with which cervical cancer screening can be conducted.
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