- The number of bladder cancer cases in 2020 is estimated at 81,400, nearly 4.5% of all newly diagnosed cancer cases, and the current bladder cancer research market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.03% through 2026
- White light, the most widely accepted current standard of care for bladder cancer removal, may not be the best option in helping to prevent recurrence, leaving hundreds of thousands of patients afraid of relapse
- Blue light has been introduced and proven to detect 25% more tumors, but because of limitations, has not been widely accepted
- Imagin Medical’s i/Blue Imaging System(TM) can be used alongside the current surgical endoscopic tools for a side-by-side comparison of both white and blue-light imaging in real time
Imagin Medical (CSE: IME) (OTCQB: IMEXF), a surgical imaging company, is focused on establishing new standards of care in the visualization of cancer during minimally invasive procedures. With an initial focus on bladder cancer, the company aims to address the limitations surgeons face during cystoscopies. The current standard of visualizing bladder cancer during surgery is white light illumination, a procedure that has been used for more than three decades and commands 90 percent of the market.
White-light illumination is effective when it comes to visualizing cancerous tumors protruding above the bladder wall, but flat tumors can look the same as normal tissue and are almost impossible to visualize with white light.
These limitations are successfully overcome with the use of blue light. The problem, however, is that blue light cannot be used during removal of the cancer. Surgeons are therefore required to switch back and forth between white light and blue light during surgeries, losing the real-time observation comparison advantage.
Imagin Medical’s proprietary i/Blue Imaging System(TM) addresses the limitations surgeons face in this regard by simultaneously displaying both white-light and blue-light images side by side, in real time.
Using an FDA-approved imaging agent, the i/Blue System is unlike other systems available on the market today in that it can attach to almost any endoscope model that is currently on the market. Due to this compatibility, any hospital adopting the i/Blue Imaging System will be able to do so in a cost-effective manner without needing to replace their current surgical instruments.
The technology has the potential to revolutionize the current standard of care for bladder cancer patients and help position Imagin Medical as a leading provider of effective solutions in the vast market of bladder cancer research and therapeutics. Bladder cancer is the sixth most prevalent form of cancer and the most expensive one to treat in the United States. The number of new bladder cancer cases in the next year is estimated to reach 81,400, or 4.5% of all newly diagnosed cancer cases, while the estimated number of deaths from bladder cancer in likely to reach 17,980, or 3% of all cancer-related deaths (https://ibn.fm/bjiHj).
According to Verified Market Research, the global bladder cancer research market reached $3.43 billion in 2018. Through 2026, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.03%, resulting in a projected $4.71 billion in total market growth (https://ibn.fm/HkgN1).
Of all the forms of cancer, bladder cancer has one of the highest recurrence rates among all cancer forms. This leaves an estimated 600,000 people living in fear that their cancer will return, according to Imagin Medical. The company is committed to addressing these fears and making the i/Blue System more broadly accessible for the removal of cancer, potentially lowering recurrence rates.
Imagin Medical announced in late November that it had closed the first $750,000 tranche of a proposed offering of up to $3 million of convertible notes. All securities that have been issued in connection with this offering will be subject to the statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance (https://ibn.fm/yzjHS).
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ImaginMedical.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to IMEXF are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/IMEXF
