The goal of
Visualase Inc. has been focused product development, clinical evaluations, manufacturing, and marketing of advanced laser and image-guided technologies for thermal ablation markets, and providing physicians with a superior platform for minimally invasive thermal tumor therapy.
Dr. Al Gilman, CPRIT CSO, announced awards to 16 institutions based in Texas which are on the forefront of cancer research and treatment. Visualase Inc.
has been selected for a $2.1 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
Visualase is one of only two private companies to receive such a grant and stands with established cancer institutions such as The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and UT Health Science Centers, among others.
Bill Hoffman, CEO, Visualase Inc., said, "We’re thrilled to be recognized by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and we’re looking forward to accelerating our efforts in providing patients in Texas and across North America with better treatment options for prostate cancer.”
Hoffman congratulated Doctors Ashok Gowda and Roger McNichols for the good work done and said that they deserved all of the credit for not only developing technology, but also for collaborating with health professionals to make an immediate impact on improving patient outcomes.
The focus of the grant, Hoffman said, would continue to be on clinical exploration of focal treatment of cancerous tumors in the prostate. Such treatment would in all probability significantly reduce the rate of side-effects associated with conventional "whole gland" treatment, including prostatectomy and whole gland irradiation.
A team from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center would lead the team for the clinical study which had been funded by the grant. The precision and control of the Visualase technology, which had made possible the ablation of tissue in sensitive areas such as brain and prostate would continue to receive undivided attention.
Visualase Inc., utilizes laser-induced thermal therapy, a minimally invasive therapy in combination with a powerful image-guided system to localize heat to a target and to visualize thermal therapy in real time. Thermotherapy is a treatment option for many types of both benign and malignant tumors
In a related news release, the PhoTex30 Diode Laser Series,
distributed by Visualase, Inc. received broad clearance for use in surgical applications requiring ablation and coagulation of soft tissue including general surgery, urology, neurosurgery, and other surgical specialties.
Mini Swamy is a contributing editor for HealthTechZone. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Patrick Barnard
