CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CytoCore, Inc. (OTCBB:CYOE - News), the developer of cost-effective products used for the detection of cancerous and precancerous conditions and privately held Synermed Select Partners, Inc., the provider of clinical laboratory products and services today announced a distribution agreement that gives CytoCore US and international rights to distribute the Synermed General Cytology Preservative in combination with its SoftPAP® cervical cell collection device.
Robert McCullough, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of CytoCore, commented, “This agreement with Synermed allows CytoCore to offer physicians and laboratories the Synermed Preservative with our SoftPAP® cervical cell collector in one convenient, cost-effective package. The world is adopting the superior liquid-based thin-layer slide preparation technology and moving away from the PAP smear technique. Synermed’s products and technology include a cost effective migration path for the production of highest quality monolayer slides starting with a simple manual process that migrates seamlessly to highly automated slide preparation equipment as volumes increase. We believe the combination of SoftPAP and the Synermed products provide tremendous benefit to women patients, doctors and diagnostic laboratories. We are excited about introducing “the combination kit” internationally where both products are approved.”
“Synermed and its affiliate CellSolutions, LLC is dedicated to the development and delivery of improved unique cervical cancer detection products. We look forward to supplying the Synermed Cytology Preservative to CytoCore and are encouraged that there may well be other future collaborations involving CytoCore and Synermed,” stated Ernest A. Knesel, President and CEO of Synermed Select Partners and Chairman of CellSolutions. Mr. Knesel was formerly CEO and founder of Tripath Inc., now a division of Becton Dickinson Inc. While at Tripath Mr. Knesel was responsible for the development of “SurePath,” their market leading liquid cell preparation product for cervical cytology testing. Unlike the liquid-based thin-layer slide preparation liquid products which dominate the market, Synermed offers both a low entry cost manual method and high volume slide preparation automation. Both the manual method and the high volume automation options use less expensive consumable supplies putting liquid-based thin-layer slide preparation within the reach of small and high volume laboratories alike, in Europe and other countries throughout the world.
The SoftPAP cervical cell collector offers quicker, more accurate specimen collection with minimal possibility of user error. It is designed to consistently sample the entire cervix in a single-step using an inflatable balloon collector. The results of the clinical trial, conducted by CytoCore and announced in October 2008, demonstrated that sampling in this manner improves the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis. Surveys indicate ease of use for the physician and greater patient comfort.
About Synermed and CellSolutions
Synermed Select Partners and CellSolutions are privately held companies that are focused upon the development and manufacture and introduction of exceptional instruments and reagents for use in diagnostics and clinical chemistry tests; providing clinical reference laboratory services; and providing clinical laboratory management and consulting services. CellSolutions has developed a new line of cost-effective liquid-based thin-layer preparation preservatives, reagents and slide preparatory products. Among these products is the CellSolution-120, a highly automated slide preparation system that produces improved slide preparations at the rate of 120 slides per hour or more than three times the throughput of Hologic Cytyc’s and BD-Tripath’s (the current thin-layer market leaders) newest technology. While currently meeting the European regulatory requirements, CellSolutions products must still undergo FDA premarket approval before being used in the USA as a replacement for the cervical Pap test.
About CytoCore Inc.
CytoCore develops cost-effective, highly accurate screening systems for early detection of gynecological and other cancers. Designed for easy deployment at a laboratory or at the point-of-care, the CytoCore suite of sample collection technologies assists in the detection of cervical, endometrial, and other cancers. The CytoCore Solutions™ System is being developed to provide medical practitioners with highly accurate, low-cost, screening systems for cervical and other cancers that can be seamlessly integrated into existing medical models. More information is available at: www.CytoCoreInc.com.
Certain statements in this release are forward-looking. These statements are based on CytoCore’s current expectations and involve many risks and uncertainties, such as the company’s inability to obtain sufficient financing, the possibility that clinical trials will not substantiate CytoCore’s expectations with respect to the CytoCore Solutions™ System, and other factors set forth in reports and documents filed by CytoCore with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from CytoCore’s current expectation depending upon a number of factors affecting the Company’s business. These factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company’s periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the year ended December 31, 2007. Except as expressly required by law, CytoCore undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein.
Contact:
CytoCore, Inc. Robert McCullough, Jr., 312-222-9550 or EVC Group Doug Sherk or Jenifer Kirtland, 415-896-6820 dsherk@evcgroup.com
