Cleveland Clinic Recognizes Circulating Tumor Cell Technology As Top Medical Innovation For 2009

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 29 Mar 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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Sparton Corporation's (NYSE:SPA) wholly-owned subsidiary, Sparton Medical Systems, Inc., produces the medical equipment that drives the CellSearch® System to measure circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The technology used to measure circulating tumor cells was ranked as the top medical innovation for 2009 at Cleveland Clinic's Medical Innovations Summit, a leading multispecialty academic medical center.

CellSearch®, a proprietary Veridex technology, is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to predict progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic breast, colorectal or prostate cancer. The test can be used at any time during the course of disease for serial monitoring of patients with these types of cancer. The CellSearch® System is also available as a diagnostic test in Europe.

The CellSearch® System is the first diagnostic test to automate the capture and detection of tumor cells that have detached from solid tumors and entered the patient's blood. With the CellSearch® System, it is possible to reproducibly find a single circulating tumor cell among approximately 40 billion blood cells in a 7.5 mL blood sample.

The Sparton Medical Systems, Inc. Team from Strongsville, Ohio in conjunction with HS Design from Gladstone, New Jersey developed the CellTracks Autoprep® which prepares a precise sample of blood to interface with Veridex's CellSearch® System. The sample is then introduced into the CellTracks Analyzer II® to perform the reading. Sparton Medical Systems manufactures both instruments for Veridex.

"Being a strategic supplier-partner for Veridex helps show how medical technology companies and contract development and manufacturing sources work toward a common goal for the advancement of personalized medicine to help patients" said Tom Harbart, Director of Engineering, Sparton Medical Systems, Inc.

About CellSearch®

The CellSearch® test works by using antibodies that are joined to microscopic iron particles, called ferrofluid. These antibody/ferrofluid combinations attach very specifically to CTCs. Powerful magnets then draw the CTCs out of the blood sample and they are then stained with additional bio-molecules and chemicals so that they can be positively identified as CTCs.

About Veridex, LLC

Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, is an organization dedicated to providing physicians with high-value in vitro diagnostic oncology products. Veridex's products may significantly benefit patients through earlier disease detection and may enable personalized strategies to help improve patient management and outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.veridex.com.

About Sparton Medical Systems, Inc.

Sparton Medical Systems, Inc, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sparton Corporation (NYSE:SPA) now in it's 108 year, provides electronic design and manufacturing services for highly regulated markets and is headquartered in Jackson, Michigan with six locations world-wide.

Sparton Medical Systems, Inc. is an FDA registered and ISO 13485 contract design, development, and manufacturing company specializing in complex laboratory instrumentation and electromechanical point-of-care medical devices for OEMs and emerging medical technology companies. Beyond the product launch, the company adds value by managing service support, organizing reliability studies, and driving cost reductions for customers to gain a competitive advantage. The company is headquartered in Strongsville, Ohio with additional dedicated medical resources and capacity in DeLeon Springs, Florida. For more information, please visit http://www.spartonmedicalsystems.com.

Safe Harbor and Fair Disclosure Statement

Safe Harbor statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: To the extent any statements made in this release contain information that is not historical, these statements are essentially forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the difficulty of predicting future results, the regulatory environment, fluctuations in operating results and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The matters discussed in this press release may also involve risks and uncertainties concerning Sparton's services described in Sparton's filings with the SEC. In particular, see the risk factors described in the Company's most recent Form 10K and Form 10Q. Sparton assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

Source
Sparton Medical Systems, Inc