Veridex Wins Prix Galien Award

NEWS TRENDS

At a ceremony in New York City, Veridex LLC (Raritan, NJ) was awarded the Prix Galien USA for its CellSearch Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Test. The Prix Galien recognizes science that improves the human condition and is considered industry's highest accolade, according to the Prix Galien organization.

This is the first year that medical devices were included as a category in the contest. Devices that FDA has approved for first or new indications within the past 10 years were eligible.
Veridex's CellSearch System is the first diagnostic test that automates the capture and detection of CTCs. It is used to assess the prognosis of patients with metastatic breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer.
Developing a “reliable method for the detection, enumeration, and isolation of tumor cells in the peripheral blood represented a substantial scientific and technological challenge, mainly because the blood of patients contains an infinitesimally small number of cancer cells,” said Jan Vilcek, MD. He is a professor in the Department of Microbiology at New York University's School of Medicine and a member of the committee that determines the winner of the Prix Galien award. The committee is composed of seven Nobel Laureates, founders of biotech companies, and editors of biology journals.
Copyright ©2009 Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry