Now Has 78 Patents Issued, Filed, Licensed or in Preparation As Taeus® Commercial Launch Plans Advance
ANN ARBOR, MI / ACCESSWIRE / January 13, 2021 / ENDRA Life Sciences Inc. (ENDRA) (NASDAQ:NDRA), a pioneer of Thermo Acoustic Enhanced UltraSound (TAEUS®), has recently been issued United States Patent 10888898 (the '898 patent) entitled "Shielded Ultrasound Transducer and Imaging System Employing the Same" from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This is the 13th U.S. patent issued to ENDRA for its TAEUS® technology.
"ENDRA's goal is to develop applications for our proprietary TAEUS® technology in areas of high unmet clinical need and for which there are no practical existing tools. The recently issued ‘898 patent provides more robust intellectual property (IP) protection for our TAEUS® platform in the key U.S. market where an estimated 30% of its 1.4 billion citizens are affected by Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)," said Francois Michelon, ENDRA's chief executive officer.
The '898 patent covers a transducer and system shielding and grounding configuration that mitigates the acoustic noise that a radiofrequency emitter generates in a thermoacoustic system.
"Receipt of the '898 patent is a key step forward in the development of thermoacoustic imaging systems for a variety of clinical applications," added Mr. Michelon. "Our IP portfolio - which currently stands at 78 assets including patents in preparation, filed, issued and licensed - continues to grow, providing valuable protection for our TAEUS® technology."
ENDRA's commercial launch plans for TAEUS® include establishing clinical research partnerships worldwide, with an initial focus on Europe. To date the company has established five research partnerships including two in Europe, two in the U.S. and one in Canada. Most recently TAEUS® systems were installed at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers in France, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Utah and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where patients are being enrolled in clinical studies to assess NAFLD.
In December 2020 ENDRA renewed its collaboration agreement with the GE Healthcare unit of General Electric Company, extending the agreement's term by two years to December 16, 2022. GE Healthcare is the global leader in clinical ultrasound and has been ENDRA's partner since 2016.
TAEUS® is currently cleared for sale in countries that recognize the CE mark, including those in the European Union, and a 510(k) application has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
About NAFLD
NAFLD is a condition closely associated with obesity, diabetes, hepatitis C and certain genetic predispositions in which fat accumulates in the liver. NAFLD affects over 1 billion people globally and is estimated to cost the U.S. healthcare system over $100 billion annually. NAFLD is often asymptomatic and if left untreated, can progress to inflammation (NASH), tissue scarring (fibrosis), cell death (cirrhosis) and liver cancer. By 2025, NAFLD is forecast to be the greatest root cause of liver transplants. The only tools currently available for diagnosing and monitoring NAFLD are impractical, and include expensive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or an invasive surgical biopsy.
About ENDRA Life Sciences Inc.
ENDRA Life Sciences is the pioneer of Thermo Acoustic Enhanced UltraSound (TAEUS®), a ground-breaking technology being developed to visualize tissue like MRI, but at 1/50th the cost and at the point of patient care. TAEUS® is designed to work in concert with the over 1 million ultrasound systems in use globally today. TAEUS® is initially focused on the measurement of fat in the liver as a means to assess and monitor Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and inflammation (NASH), chronic liver conditions that affect over 1 billion people globally, and for which there are no practical diagnostic tools. Beyond the liver, ENDRA is exploring several other clinical applications of TAEUS®, including visualization of tissue temperature during energy-based surgical procedures. For more information, please visit www.endrainc.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this news release that are not based on historical fact are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seek," "intend," "plan," "goal," "estimate," "anticipate" or other comparable terms. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, estimates of the timing of future events and achievements, such as the expectations regarding commercializing the TAEUS® device, establishing evaluation reference sites and initial sales in Europe, receipt of U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory approval and expectations concerning ENDRA's business strategy. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors including, among others, our ability to develop a commercially feasible technology; receipt of necessary regulatory approvals; the impact of COVID-19 on our business plans; our ability to find and maintain development partners, market acceptance of our technology and the amount and nature of competition in our industry; our ability to protect our intellectual property; and the other risks and uncertainties described in ENDRA's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements made in this news release speak only as of the date of issuance, and ENDRA assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in expectations, except as otherwise required by law.
Company Contact:
David Wells
Chief Financial Officer
(734) 997-0464
[email protected]
www.endrainc.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Kim Sutton Golodetz
LHA Investor Relations
(212) 838-3777
[email protected]
SOURCE: ENDRA Life Sciences Inc.