Creo Medical Group plc (AIM: CREO), the medical device company focused on the emerging field of surgical endoscopy, announces that, further to the update of 31 March 2023, the first in-human use of the Company’s MicroBlate Flex device for the microwave (MW) ablation of soft tissue lung lesions was successfully completed at Royal Brompton Hospital, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, by Professor Pallav L Shah.
Creo’s MicroBlate Flex device is a new soft tissue ablation device which is designed with the aim of being able to ablate nodules and tumors in several tissue types using the highest frequency MW energy for tumour ablation.
The aforementioned procedure forms part of a multi-site clinical trial, with all patients having regular follow-up assessments post-procedure to monitor their progress. The Study is the first of a number of planned studies regarding the Company’s suite of ablation devices during 2023 and beyond.
Craig Gulliford, Chief Executive Officer of Creo, commented:
“This is another landmark moment for Creo Medical. Lung cancer has the second highest incidence of the top 5 cancers and one of the lowest 5-year survival rates. Unlike most other cancers; there are no significant, accurate screening programmes in place for lung cancer but with screening, diagnosis and navigation technology advancing dramatically over recent years, we are set to see that change.
“The goal of screening is to find the disease early when the tumours are small. However, currently the treatment options for these early-stage lesions are inappropriately invasive, typically involving chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery or a combination thereof.
“MicroBlate Flex has been designed for a range of different applications, including the capability of operating with these new lung cancer diagnosis and navigation technologies, and is ideal for the targeted ablation of pre-cancerous and potentially cancerous lesions in the lung and in other soft tissue. Like with all our products now in clinical practice in the gastroenterology market, we hope that our technology will enable clinicians to significantly impact on the improvement of Cancer outcomes.
“The whole team at Creo are delighted that this clinical program has now started. The first enrolment and MicroBlate Flex’s first procedure safely completed is an important milestone in our goal to use advanced energy to transform lives.
Professor Shah added:
“The ablate device is another tool in our armoury for treating early lung cancers or metastatic tumours in the lung. It provides an alternative approach when surgery is not possible and may have the potential to create a very controlled ablation minimising any additional lung damage. The current trial should help evaluate its safety and role in thoracic cancers.
