Veterans now have access to WATS3D life-saving technology in the VA and community settings
SUFFERN, N.Y., Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CDx Diagnostics has been awarded GSA Contract #36F79721D0050 for WATS3D, an AI-powered diagnostic platform developed to identify precancerous cells in the esophagus. WATS3D is now readily available to hospitals and clinics operated by the Veterans Administration, Department of Defense, Indian Health Services and federal prisons. Starting December 1, access to the WATS3D catalog and pricelist will be available to federal purchasers via the National Acquisition Center (NAC) and the GSA e-library here.
The Veterans Affairs Federal Supply Schedule (VA FSS) supports the healthcare requirements of the VA and other federal government agencies by providing customers with access to high-quality goods and services at the best commercial rate. As a VA approved contractor, 12.5 million veteran and active-duty members of the Military Health System now have access to the advanced sampling, screening, and analysis that WATS3D offers with the potential to prevent esophageal cancer.
One of the fastest growing and most fatal cancers in the US, esophageal cancer (EAC) develops from Barrett’s esophagus (BE), an acquired condition that occurs as a result of chronic recurrent acid-induced damage to the internal lining of the esophagus. WATS3D plays an important role in the early detection and prevention of EAC by using a unique combination of superior sampling, advanced 3D imaging and Artificial Intelligence analysis to determine the presence of BE and esophageal dysplasia in patients undergoing upper endoscopy. In large multicenter clinical trials, WATS3D has been found to significantly increase the detection rate of both BE and esophageal dysplasia compared to the traditional method of screening – the Seattle Protocol.
“What better way to honor and protect our veterans than to provide them with a life-saving technology,” says CDx Diagnostics CEO Bill Huffnagle. “CDx has worked diligently to create an avenue through which the WATS3D diagnostic platform can be made more readily available to our active duty military and veterans. We’re excited to be included in the Federal Supply Schedule with an opportunity to provide the evidence-based and cost-effective care of WATS3D both inside federal healthcare facilities and through the private sector.”
CDx has completed the five major pillars of evidence-based medicine for WATS3D, including Analytic Validity, Clinical Validity, Clinical Utility, Cost Effectiveness and Recommendations by Major Medical Societies. The technology has earned recognition from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and the American Foregut Society (AFS).
In 2019, the ASGE included WATS3D in its Standards of Practice Committee’s guideline for the screening and surveillance of BE. In 2020, the technology was deemed a safe and effective adjunct to forceps biopsies in the evaluation of BE, low-grade dysplasia, and high-grade dysplasia by SAGES and its Technology and Value Assessment Committee (TAVAC).
About WATS3D
WATS3D addresses the major inadequacies inherent in current random forceps biopsy testing of the esophagus. In just a few minutes, endoscopists can easily obtain a wide area, full-thickness transepithelial specimen for computer-assisted 3D laboratory analysis prior to diagnosis by any WATS3D certified pathologist. In large multicenter clinical trials, WATS3D has been found to significantly increase the detection rate of both Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal dysplasia. The high sensitivity and inter-observer agreement of WATS3D is due to the larger tissue area sampled, and the proprietary 3-Dimensional computer imaging system that is based on an artificial intelligence algorithm developed as part of the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative missile defense program. To learn more about WATS3D, visit www.wats3d.com.
About CDx Diagnostics
CDx Diagnostics’ mission of Empowering Physicians with Innovative Technology to Prevent Esophageal Cancer, One Patient at a Time is accomplished by a proprietary diagnostic platform that synthesizes computer imaging, artificial intelligence, molecular biology and three-dimensional cytopathology to detect precancerous change earlier and more reliably than prior methods. Routine clinical use of CDx testing has already detected thousands of precancers that would otherwise have been missed in time for effective endoscopic treatment. Additionally, CDx Diagnostics is looking to apply its next-generation diagnostic platform to prevent cancers of the bile duct, stomach, and colon. CDx Diagnostics is a Galen Partners portfolio company. To learn more, visit www.cdxdiagnostics.com.
Contact: Donnie Turlington
Phone: 336-991-7711
Email: dturlington@bouvierkelly.com