The program for cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment technologies for global health: A pathway for the translation of affordable, minimally-invasive point-of-care technologies to less-resourced settings

Abstract

9 Cancer kills more people worldwide than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined, and lowand middle-incomecountries (LMICs) bear themajority of this burden.While success indetection, diagnosis, and treatment hasbeen reported in LMICs through theuse of low-cost, point-of-care (POC) technologies, this areahasbeen largely overlookedby themedical device industry and venture capital communities, as low-cost solutions offer less financial incentive for investment. The program presented here aims to simplify the pathway tomarket by funding investigation teams to adapt and validate existing technologies in low-resource settings. This program specifically supports the translation of these technologies, prioritizing patient outcomes in a manner not typically seen. This program, currently in its second year, will soon support 15 technologies for cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment (e.g., in vitro assays, imaging devices, ablation devices). It is anticipated that by year seven of the program, at least nine projects will have progressed through optimization, clinical validation, and business planning for dissemination and commercialization. Each project consists of an adaptation phase (two years: $500k total costs/year) and validation phase (three years: $1M total costs/year). Projects are selected through the National Institutes of Health peer review process by a special emphasis panel briefed on the goals of the program. Projects are competitively vetted for Phase II funding based on completion of Phase I milestones. All teams contain expertise in engineering, oncology, and business/manufacturing, uniquely leveraging their devices for success in translation. The seven preliminarily funded projects are making strides in optimization, and the projects range from anLED-based photodynamic therapy device for oral cancer to POC tests for Hepatitis C viral antigen level and viral load detection. This program is funded by theNational Cancer Institute and theNational Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health. AUTHORS’ DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: No COIs from the authors. Michael Gwede,Pushpa Tandon,Miguel Ossandon,Houston Baker,Rao Divi, Lokesh Agrawal, andPaul C. Pearlman, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, United States of America; and Vinay Pai and Tiffani Lash,National Institute ofBiomedical ImagingandBioengineering,National Institute ofHealth,Department ofHealthand Human Services, United States of America Corresponding author:Michael Gwede,National Cancer Institute, 9609Medical CenterDr, Rockville,MD20850; 240-276-7634; Michael.gwede@nih.gov DOI: 10.1200/JGO.2016.004499 Michael Gwede Pushpa Tandon Vinay Pai Miguel Ossandon Houston Baker Tiffani Lash Rao Divi Lokesh Agrawal Paul C. Pearlman 17s jgo.ascopubs.org JGO – Journal of Global Oncology © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License