Akrotome Imaging Receives $1.7M Grant from NIH to Advance Research for Technology that Sheds a “Light” on Cancer

Cleveland, OH. November 11, 2015 – Akrotome Imaging Inc., a Cleveland-based medical imaging technology company, has received a major award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to complete development and commercialization of its leading-edge imaging platform.

The $1.7M grant will fund the development of an imaging instrument and a fluorescent molecular probe that “lights up” many kinds of previously invisible cancer cells, making it easier for surgeons to determine if all cancer cells have been removed or if additional surgeries are required.

Instead of requiring patients to receive large doses of probe via IV hours before the procedure, Akrotome developed something that could be easily sprayed on the tumor area to reveal traces of remaining cancer cells. Results are available in minutes and the patient does not need to be injected with probe.

While the probes can also be administered via IV, the external and topical applications of the probes mean they have fewer FDA regulatory hurdles than competing probes and can reach the market faster and at a much lower cost.

The CEO of Akrotome, Dr. Brian Straight, says that the probes have the potential to revolutionize surgery. “The surgical cure of cancer can only be achieved if a surgeon can remove all of the tumor. Our probes make the tumor glow in near-infrared light, guiding surgeons and allowing them to clearly see where the cancer ends and healthy tissue begins, enabling complete removal of malignant tissue.”

Akrotome has a portfolio of probes that target cathepsins, cancer-associated enzymes that are expressed by 85 percent of solid tumors. Trials conducted by the company indicate that the probe can literally highlight cancer cells with better than 95 percent accuracy. The probes and technologies were developed in the laboratories of Dr. Matthew Bogyo at Stanford University and Dr. James Basilion at Case Western Reserve University, with imaging capabilities provided by Indec Systems, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA).

Akrotome is currently moving its probes forward for use in skin and breast cancers. Future targets include colon, ovarian, and lung tumors.