Life sciences startup licenses Purdue technology to detect cancer cells

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The founder of a life sciences startup that is commercializing a Purdue University innovation says a test to detect circulating tumor cells in a patient's bloodstream could improve the chances of survival and quality of life.

Cagri Savran, founder and manager of Savran Technologies, said there is only one test approved currently by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to detect rare tumor cells.

"Unfortunately, this device misses a lot of cells, which leads to false negative results," he said. "When a device doesn't work well, not only do the personnel at pathology labs in hospitals not want to buy it, but they also are not using the test as much as they should."

Purdue researchers, led by Savran, have developed a minimally invasive technology that is highly effective and adaptable in detecting rare target cells. The technology was exclusively licensed to the company by the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization. More than 20 startups based on Purdue intellectual property were launched in the 2015 fiscal year.

"Our technology utilizes a design that recognizes a very small number of target cells. It can remove a significant portion of the other cells that you don't want to detect," said Savran, who also is an associate professor in Purdue's School of Mechanical Engineering. "It can be adapted to detect different types of cells that signify the presence of different diseases in a sample and is flexible enough to use a variety of samples including blood, urine and other fluids.

"Our belief is that this combination of features will encourage doctors to order more tests more frequently to reliably observe how their patients are doing. This could improve the chances of survival as well as quality of life. It could give doctors the opportunity to make more informed decisions about what treatments they prescribe."

Savran said the company faces further steps before its test can be sold to pathology labs and hospitals.

"We need approval from the FDA, which requires several rounds of clinical trials. We need partners who can help us pay for them, as well as partners who can help us further develop the technology for other applications," he said.

For information on other Purdue intellectual property ready for licensing and commercialization, visit http://www.otc-prf.org. For more information about available leadership positions, investing in a Purdue startup or licensing a Purdue innovation, visit http://www.purduefoundry.com

About Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year from the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at innovation@prf.org 

Purdue Research Foundation contact: Steve Martin, 765-588-3342, sgmartin@prf.org 

Source: Cagri Savran, 765-494-8601, savran@purdue.edu