RELEASES

• For further information contact:
  Fred Iannotti
  802-888-0085
  fiannotti@planningsource.com

  Trimira's Zuluaga Participates in Panel About Oral Cancer Screening Devices

  Trimira's Zuluaga Participates in Panel About Oral Cancer Screening Devices

  BOSTON, April 1, 2010 — Trimira® LLC's Dr. Andrés F. Zuluaga was one of four panel members who participated in a three-hour presentation about new oral cancer screening technologies at the Yankee Dental Congress® 35 (YDC) tradeshow in Boston. The presentation was titled "Oral Cancer Screening Devices: Shedding Light on the Subject."

  Oral Cancer Screening Devices: Shedding Light on the Subject
  www.yankeedental.com/Course.aspx?id=19564

  Zuluaga PhD, MS, is vice president of research and development at Trimira's parent, Houston-based Remicalm, LLC, as well as a principal at IO Consultants LLC. Trimira developed Identafi® 3000 ultra, the world's first and only "multispectral" oral cancer detection device, in collaboration with The University of Texas and British Columbia Cancer Research Centre. It is available through dealers and distributors in the USA and Canada.

  Trimira demonstrated Identafi® 3000 ultra at booth #837 at the event.

  Oral cancer is growing at double-digit rates, despite declines in alcohol and tobacco use.

  Zuluaga noted that the mortality rate for oral cancer is higher than that of many cancers, such as cervical, thyroid, Hodgkin's lymphoma, testicular, laryngeal, or skin (malignant melanoma).

  Early detection of oral cancer would improve the survival rate to 80-90 percent.

  William Balanoff, DDS, MS, FICD, who received his dental degree from Northwestern University; he has a MS in craniofacial research;
  Michael Kahn, DDS, a professor and chair of the oral and maxillofacial pathology department at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology; and
  Lynn Solomon, DDS, MS, an associate professor in the department of oral pathology at Tufts School of Dental Medicine.
  
  

  Panel Discussion Reviews Adjunctive Devices

  The panel discussion about the different oral cancer screening devices was moderated by oral pathologists. The panel presented updated data about oral and oropharyngeal cancer, including the disease's incidence, prevalence, etiologic factors, screening, diagnosis, and prevention. The various types of adjunctive oral cancer screening devices were discussed, with emphasis on their operation and comparison. Objectives of the session included:

  Learning about current oral cancer incidence and prevalence;
  Appreciating the early clinical signs and symptoms of oral cancer;
  Understanding the role of traditional etiologic factors in oral cancer, as well as human papillomavirus; and
  Evaluating the different types of oral cancer adjunctive screening devices.
  
  

  Held Jan. 27–31, 2010 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the 35th annual YDC (www.yankeedental.com), whose theme was "360 Degrees of Dentistry, Learning from Every Angle," is New England’s largest dental meeting. The event attracted more than 400 national and international dental vendors and featured some 875 exhibit booths.

  Attendance at Yankee Dental Congress

  Dentists	6,909
  Dental Students	2,251
  Hygienists	5,804
  Assistants	3,916
  Office Personnel	1,476
  Technicians	130
  Guests	2,063
  Exhibitors	4,118
  Total	26,792

  
  

  "Multispectral" Tech Vastly Improves Odds of Detection

  Zuluaga said the increase in oral cancer is largely due to the spread of HPV-16 and -18 via all forms of sexual contact. HPV-related oral cancer lesions occur mainly in the back of the throat, base of the tongue, and tonsillar pillars. Hence the need for a device like Identafi® 3000 ultra, which can detect oral cancer and pre-cancer that would be otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Like most cancers, cancers of the lip and oral cavity are best treated when found early.

  Adjunctive technology such as Identafi® 3000 ultra should be used in conjunction with the American Dental Association's recommended conventional visual and tactile examination of the head, neck, and oral cavity. The gold standard of ascertaining whether a patient has oral cancer continues to be the biopsy. Of course, it is not practical to do regular biopsies on all dental patients when actually only 10 percent of them have something that is of concern.

  Identafi® 3000 ultra delivers a higher degree of clinical accuracy and confidence to users, which translates into better patient care. Unlike other methods, Identafi® 3000 ultra pinpoints biochemical and morphological changes in cells of the mouth, throat, tongue, and tonsils. The device's violet wavelength capability was cited in the May 2009 issue of Cancer Prevention Research, the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, as the best excitation wavelength to discriminate between neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissue areas.

  About Trimira® LLC

  Trimira® LLC is a private capital-funded company, with investment by Dallas cancer research philanthropist T. Boone Pickens, of oil and windfarming fame. Other Trimira® sister subsidiaries are working on screening and diagnostic devices for skin, cervical, gastrointestinal, and bladder cancers. Remicalm®, as the parent company, has licensed exclusive use of certain of its patents and patents pending for use as a cervical cancer product to be later expanded to include additional epithelial-based cancers. Remicalm®'s core technologies are based on high-speed, high-resolution capabilities from its patented optical processing technology platforms and include the ability to read metabolic and physiologic differences in diseased and healthy tissue in the human body.

  Visit Trimira® at: http://www.trimira.net/

Animations

Identafi® Technology

Identafi® 3000 ultra Process

Screening Results

Training