Vestan is a medical imaging company developing systems to visualize tumors and cancerous cells designed to aid surgeons during an operation, and to mprove the odds for cancer patients. Currently frimarily focused to breat cancer, uture uses of this technology will include other malignancies, such as skin, melanoma, uterus and intra-abdominal cancers. The key components in this system are: Fluorescent Vitamin B-12-based drugs that naturally concentrate in tumor cells. Fluorometric hardware allowing visualization of tumors. Vestan has exclusively licensed the rights to novel fluorescent cobalamin analogues, known as CobalaFluors. These molecules are concentrated in rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells. When stimulated with short wavelength light, these compounds glow brilliantly and can detect cancer and guide the surgeon during cancer removal.Vestan has demonstrated that CobalaFluor, a drug exclusively licensed from the University of Utah, is selectively absorbed by tumors. Tumors loaded with CobalaFluor can be detected by fluorescence spectroscopy. Vestan will refine this concept for use in the operating room, so the surgeon can remove all of the cancer at the first operation and eliminate the need for rescissions. For every breast cancer detected, approximately five other breast lesions are removed for suspicion of cancer but are ultimately benign. CobalaFluor may eliminate some of this unnecessary surgery. CobalaFluor may have an application in the operative diagnosis of breast cancer as well as the treatment outlined above. Vestan has also demonstrated that CobalaFluor, is selectively absorbed by cancerous cells. These cells can be detected by flow-cytometric methods or by fluorescence microscopy. Vestan brings CobalaFluor and other fluorescent dyes for tumor imaging and cancer diagnostic. We are currently seeking partners for research and validation of this new exciting technology.
