Epredia and NovaScan Announce Intent to Enter U.S. Distribution Agreement for MarginScan Device for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Detection

Epredia, a global leader in precision cancer diagnostics and subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation (TSE: 6523), and NovaScan, Inc., a company that develops breakthrough technology for cancer detection and stratification, announce that they have signed a letter of intent for a U.S. exclusive commercial distribution agreement for MarginScan, a medical device that will support physicians in real-time detection of non-melanoma skin cancer. Epredia has engaged Avantik, a company specializing in supporting diagnostic labs with their operations, with getting this new device into the hands of Mohs surgeons.

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MarginScan Device for Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Detection (Photo: Business Wire)

Skin cancer is the most common group of cancers diagnosed worldwide¹, and it is estimated that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime². Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are the most common cancers in the United States, affecting more than 3 million Americans a year³. More than 20 percent of Americans are expected to develop NMSC before reaching age 70. Most surgeries for NMSC are simple excisions, which may result in removal of substantial healthy tissue around the suspected cancer.

MarginScan is designed to address this challenge by supporting Mohs surgery procedures for skin cancer treatment. Mohs Micrographic Surgery (MMS) is an operative method used to detect the presence or absence of a tumor in the margins of a surgical excision. In an MMS procedure, cancer tissue is excised in stages, then flash-frozen and assessed histologically in an onsite lab until clean margins are obtained. Previously, MMS was the only modality for skin cancer treatment that involved comprehensive margin assessment during a procedure. MarginScan is designed to use an electrical assessment to confirm cancer-free margins without the intraoperative histological assessment. This has the potential to allow for faster excisions that spare more healthy tissue, leading to improved outcomes for both patients and clinicians.