MUST partners Pensievision on cervical cancer device clinical testing
Posted By
James MphandePosted on
16th Apr, 2024
The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) will be the local partner to Pensievision, Inc, an imaging technology startup, in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) phase II grant for the clinical tests of a cervical cancer detection device.
Titled: “A Novel, Low-Cost, Handheld, 3D Imaging System for Improved Screening of Cervical Neoplasia in Resource Limited Settings,” the project recently received a US$2 million plus award from NIH to perform clinical tests in US and Africa to help prevent cervical cancer.
According to a press release from MUST, this is a landmark project, with grant, funded by National Cancer Institute (NCI), used to complete research and development and conduct clinical testing of the device at Virginia Tech [VT] Carilion School of Medicine in the US, Aga Khan University in Kenya and locally at MUST.
The award followed a proposal submitted by a team led by Dr Joseph Carson of Pensievision, which received high acclaims from the review board, which among others, said the device has “an extremely innovative approach that has a potential to revolutionalise this field” and that “this project is of high significance with a huge potential to positively impact healthcare”.
“We spent years in research and development, so we are now extremely excited to start clinical tests with patients in three countries,” said Dr Joe Carson, the principal investigator on the grant and Pensievision’s Chief Technological Officer.
Tal Almog, President of Pensievision added that considering that less than 20 percent of NIH grant applications get funded, the award attested to the potential for Pensievision to enhance cancer screening and diagnostic techniques that could save lives.
On his part, MUST Executive Dean for the Academy of Medical Sciences, Dr Mwayiwawo Madanitsa, who is the lead in the clinical tests for the device in Malawi, said it was a huge honour for MUST and Malawi to be part of the project.
“We are excited to partner with such an esteemed team of medical and technological experts. With the high prevalence and impact of cervical cancer in Malawi, the importance of this exercise cannot be over-emphasised. We stand to benefit in many ways both as a university with medical programmes in imaging and also as a country,” he said.
On the partnership with between MUST and Pensievision in the project, Dr Carson was very optimistic.
“We have been extremely lucky to be able to partner with esteemed leaders at the Malawi University of Science and Technology for this important study on cervical cancer screening. The leadership from Dr Madanitsa and his colleagues has been essential for bringing this international study to fruition.”
Dr Madanitsa said that MUST will strive to partner with institutions, locally and globally, to advance technology in the medical field. He said the device, with all its potential, will change the landscape of cervical cancer screening, especially in resource limited countries like Malawi.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally with an estimated 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths in 2020.
About 90 percent of the mortalities occurred in low- and middle-income countries where access to screening is limited.
According to the Malawi Human Papilloma Virus and related Cancers Fact Sheet 2023, an estimated 4,145 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually with 70% dying from the disease.
Cervical cancer in Malawi ranks as the most common cancer amongst women of reproductive age.
Titled: “A Novel, Low-Cost, Handheld, 3D Imaging System for Improved Screening of Cervical Neoplasia in Resource Limited Settings,” the project recently received a US$2 million plus award from NIH to perform clinical tests in US and Africa to help prevent cervical cancer.
According to a press release from MUST, this is a landmark project, with grant, funded by National Cancer Institute (NCI), used to complete research and development and conduct clinical testing of the device at Virginia Tech [VT] Carilion School of Medicine in the US, Aga Khan University in Kenya and locally at MUST.
The award followed a proposal submitted by a team led by Dr Joseph Carson of Pensievision, which received high acclaims from the review board, which among others, said the device has “an extremely innovative approach that has a potential to revolutionalise this field” and that “this project is of high significance with a huge potential to positively impact healthcare”.
“We spent years in research and development, so we are now extremely excited to start clinical tests with patients in three countries,” said Dr Joe Carson, the principal investigator on the grant and Pensievision’s Chief Technological Officer.
Tal Almog, President of Pensievision added that considering that less than 20 percent of NIH grant applications get funded, the award attested to the potential for Pensievision to enhance cancer screening and diagnostic techniques that could save lives.
On his part, MUST Executive Dean for the Academy of Medical Sciences, Dr Mwayiwawo Madanitsa, who is the lead in the clinical tests for the device in Malawi, said it was a huge honour for MUST and Malawi to be part of the project.
“We are excited to partner with such an esteemed team of medical and technological experts. With the high prevalence and impact of cervical cancer in Malawi, the importance of this exercise cannot be over-emphasised. We stand to benefit in many ways both as a university with medical programmes in imaging and also as a country,” he said.
On the partnership with between MUST and Pensievision in the project, Dr Carson was very optimistic.
“We have been extremely lucky to be able to partner with esteemed leaders at the Malawi University of Science and Technology for this important study on cervical cancer screening. The leadership from Dr Madanitsa and his colleagues has been essential for bringing this international study to fruition.”
Dr Madanitsa said that MUST will strive to partner with institutions, locally and globally, to advance technology in the medical field. He said the device, with all its potential, will change the landscape of cervical cancer screening, especially in resource limited countries like Malawi.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally with an estimated 604,000 new cases and 342,000 deaths in 2020.
About 90 percent of the mortalities occurred in low- and middle-income countries where access to screening is limited.
According to the Malawi Human Papilloma Virus and related Cancers Fact Sheet 2023, an estimated 4,145 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually with 70% dying from the disease.
Cervical cancer in Malawi ranks as the most common cancer amongst women of reproductive age.