IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — VESICA HEALTH, INC., a multi-omics, liquid biopsy company transforming the management of hematuria patients and improving the early detection of bladder cancer, today announced that William T. Lowrance, MD, MPH, MBA will serve as the company’s Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Lowrance brings more than 20 years of clinical experience, as a professor of urology and a practicing urologic oncologist, treating patients and conducting clinical trials.
“We are privileged to welcome Dr. Lowrance to Vesica Health. His expertise in urology and extensive experience in conducting clinical trials, as well as his deep understanding of the challenges associated with urologic malignancies, make him an invaluable addition to our team,” commented Christopher Thibodeau, CEO of Vesica Health. Thibodeau emphasized that ~ 20,000 bladder cancer cases are missed every year under the current standard of care, leading to more advanced disease and higher mortality rates, and that patients deserve better. “Dr. Lowrance will play a vital role in shaping our clinical strategy, creating a strong patient-centric organization, and contributing to our mission of transforming the management of hematuria patients and improving the early detection of bladder cancer,” he continued.
Well-validated genomic tests like AssureDx will fundamentally change the diagnosis and management of bladder cancer
“I have devoted my career to researching and treating urologic cancers, striving to improve patient care and ultimately, survival,” said Dr. William T. Lowrance, Chief Medical Officer of Vesica Health. “I am truly honored to join the management team at Vesica and contribute to our shared mission of supporting those battling bladder cancer. We are at a pivotal moment with the advent of well-validated genomic tests like AssureDx, which hold the promise of fundamentally changing the diagnosis and management of bladder cancer. By identifying patients at an increased risk of developing the disease at an early stage, when treatment is most effective, we can offer hope and support to those in need.”
Dr. Lowrance is an attending urologic oncologist at Bon Secours Mercy Health, specializing in the treatment of urologic malignancies, with a focus on bladder cancer. Formerly, he served as Associate Professor of Urology and the leader of the Genitourinary Disease Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, and previously as an Adjunct Faculty Instructor of Surgery, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dr. Lowrance earned his Master of Business Administration from the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, a Master of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health, a Medical Degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, and a BA in Chemistry from Washington and Lee University. He performed his urology residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and his Fellowship in Urologic Oncology at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Lowrance’s research focuses on understanding and improving patient clinical outcomes and has published numerous peer-reviewed urologic articles, book chapters, and editorials.
While serving as the Chief Medical Officer of Vesica Health, Dr. Lowrance will continue his medical practice at Bon Secours Mercy Health. He is the chair of the American Urological Association’s Advanced Prostate Cancer Clinical Guidelines committee and has served on the editorial board for multiple medical journals. He peer reviews medical manuscripts for a variety of medical journals.
About AssureDx™Vesica Health’s patented, noninvasive, urine-based AssureDx test helps physicians accurately triage hematuria patients, distinguishing those at increased risk for bladder cancer, who may benefit from immediate referral to urology and clinical evaluation, from those at very low risk for bladder cancer, who may safely avoid invasive procedures and secondary cancer risk from harmful CT scans. AssureDx biomarkers and technology have been extensively reported in 20 peer-reviewed and published studies on over 5,878 patients, including three sequential, prospective clinical validation studies, delivering robust clinical performance with a 0.96 AUC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve), 99% Negative Predictive Value (NPV), 96% Sensitivity and 83% Specificity for the detection of bladder cancer in hematuria patients. AssureDx also provides urologists with a noninvasive method to monitor bladder cancer patients at increased risk of recurrence after initial treatment, thereby improving patient management and outcomes.
About Vesica Health, Inc.
Vesica Health’s mission is to transform the management of hematuria patients and improve the early detection of bladder cancer. Each year it is estimated that upwards of 17M (1-in-5) adults will present with hematuria, the primary symptom of bladder cancer, yet despite guideline recommendations only ~12% of patients are referred to urology for clinical evaluation. As a consequence, ~20% of bladder cancers are missed each year, leading to later-stage disease at diagnosis and higher mortality. Vesica has translated 20 years of advanced multi-omics research in bladder cancer into a well-validated, commercial-ready precision diagnostic test to improve the evaluation of hematuria, early detection of disease, and recurrence monitoring. For more information, please visit www.vesicahealth.com.
For more information:Vesica Health Corporate Communications
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This company announcement contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of Vesica Health and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the company’s control, and may turn out to be materially different. Vesica Health expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this announcement to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. This company announcement does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of Vesica Health in any jurisdiction. No securities of Vesica Health may be offered or sold within the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in compliance with an exemption therefrom, and in accordance with any applicable U.S. securities laws.
NOTE: The Vesica Health wordmarks and logos, including Vesica Health, and AssureDx are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vesica Health, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE Vesica Health
