Feedback plc
("Feedback" or the "Company")
Intention to develop a product incorporating TexRAD for prostate cancer
Feedback plc (AIM: FDBK), the medical imaging software company, is pleased to announce the incorporation of a 50:50 joint venture company, Prostate Checker Ltd, ("PC") with QUIBIM S.L.,("QUIBIM") to develop a specific application of TexRAD texture analysis in combination with multiple extracted parameters from MR images for the computer assisted detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer. To facilitate this, Feedback Plc has granted a licence of certain TexRAD intellectual property to PC.
QUIBIM, which is based in Valencia, Spain, derives its name from Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers In Medicine. It has collaborative relationships with Spanish hospitals and is especially dedicated to medical image processing and the extraction of imaging biomarkers for medical imaging workflows. Prostate Checker will combine texture analysis with other image analysis parameters from QUIBIM such as diffusion and perfusion to develop an integrated product which would potentially assist clinicians in diagnosing and assessing treatment options for prostate cancer. The potential implications for patient care are very significant, with the additional information to be derived from PC's analysis of routinely acquired MR images allowing for better risk stratification of patients and more personalised treatment. A presentation is available on http://prostatechecker.co.uk .
A preliminary study undertaken at the University College London of around 100 prostate cancer patients demonstrated the potential for TexRAD analysis of MR images to differentiate between significant and less significant cancers. This was presented at the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) in Milan in 2014.
Prof. Dr. Luis Martí-Bonmatí, a leading European radiologist and authority on the use of MRI in diagnosing abdominal and pelvic cancers, commented:
"TexRAD MR texture analysis in combination with QUIBIM diffusion & perfusion modelling may be a useful tool for risk stratification to identify patients with significant cancers from less significant prostate cancers and more accurately triaging those prostate cancer patients for appropriate management (treatment or active surveillance)"
Dr. Balaji Ganeshan, Chief Scientist & New Business Officer of the Company's subsidiaries TexRAD Ltd & Cambridge Computed Imaging Ltd commented:
"We are delighted to be setting up a joint venture company Prostate Checker Ltd, with QUIBIM to develop a composite imaging risk stratification multi-parametric (textures, perfusion, diffusion etc) MR software product dedicated to the management of prostate cancer patients."
Dr. Angel Alberich-Bayarri, Chief Executive Officer of QUIBIM commented:
"We are very pleased in starting this new strategic alliance with Feedback, where our high performance teams will merge under the umbrella of the new JV company, Prostate Checker Ltd. I am sure that we can develop the most advanced MR imaging solutions for prostate cancer diagnosis in the market which wouldn't be possible with independent strategies".
For further information contact:
Feedback plc |
Tel: 01954 718072 |
Simon Barrell / Trevor Brown / Tom Charlton |
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QUIBIM SL |
Tel: +34 6867 84484 |
Angel Alberich-Bayarri |
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Sanlam Securities UK (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) |
Tel: 020 7628 2200 |
Simon Clements / Virginia Bull |
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Peterhouse Corporate Finance Ltd (Joint Broker) |
Tel: 020 7469 0936 |
Lucy Williams / Duncan Vasey |
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Notes to editors:
TexRAD is a novel sophisticated imaging risk stratification research tool that analyses the textures in existing radiological scans. This research software application analyses textures, detecting and measuring tumour heterogeneity (complexity) from these images, revealing more information from medical images than is readily visible to the naked eye. Research to date has shown that TexRAD could potentially assist the clinician (as an 'Imaging Biomarker') in confident decision-making: it has the potential to assess the prognosis, disease-severity (e.g. risk of metastases) and response evaluation of patients with cancer. Currently TexRAD research has shown great potential in many different oncological sites, including, colorectal, breast, lung, prostate, oesophageal, head & neck, lymphoma, liver and renal cancers and could potentially be employed as a heterogeneity assessing tool in the era of 'Precision and Personalized Medicine'. TexRAD is manufactured under licence by company Cambridge Computed Imaging Ltd, a subsidiary of Feedback plc. More information is available on www.fbk.com and www.texrad.com.
QUIBIM is a company specialized in the analysis of imaging biomarkers from medical images. The company receives the images from the customer, performs the image analysis and provides back an intuitive report with the relevant results for the diagnosis, prognosis and staging of lesions. Therefore the qualitative approach of radiology is complemented by QUIBIM's quantitative service. The company is currently developing a new platform (QUIBIM-Precision®) under the philosophy of SaaS (software as a service) that will allow the analysis of a spectrum of imaging biomarkers that can be extracted from medical images (magnetic resonance, computed tomography, positron emission tomography, X-ray) in different organs and pathologies ('from head to toe' approach). The main solutions of the company beyond the prostate are their advanced analysis of trabecular bone from MR or CT for the microarchitecture characterization in osteoporosis and oncology; the liver fat fraction and iron concentrations quantification; the lung emphysema quantification in COPD (Patented) and neuroimaging techniques (volumetry, morphometry, tractography, lesions detection, iron concentration) for brain diseases diagnosis. More information is available at www.quibim.com.
