Cordance Medical's NeuroAccess Receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for Liquid Biopsy in Brain Tumors

Transforming the Landscape of Neuro-Oncology Diagnostics Through Non-Invasive Blood-Brain Barrier Opening

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cordance Medical, a pioneering medical device company focused on opening the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) to facilitate liquid biopsy, announces that its NeuroAccess™ device has been granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

NeuroAccess is designed for adults (aged 22+) with known or suspected brain tumors, enabling trained healthcare professionals to non-invasively elevate cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analytes in blood circulation. This procedure, called SonoBiopsy™, enhances existing oncology liquid biopsy tests.

The FDA's Breakthrough Device Designation is conferred upon technologies that offer superior treatment or diagnosis for life-threatening or debilitating conditions. This designation underscores the transformative promise of the NeuroAccess platform in addressing the unmet medical needs to expand the continuum of care for brain tumor patients by facilitating safe procedures to obtain molecular characterization of their tumors. Under the program, Cordance Medical will receive prioritized review and accelerated interaction with the FDA.

The NeuroAccess technology employs focused ultrasound in combination with microbubbles to open the BBB in a safe, temporary, and non-invasive manner. Designed to be portable, NeuroAccess aims to enable SonoBiopsy procedures broadly across community clinics and hospitals alike.

Earlier this year, pioneering studies at Washington University in St. Louis demonstrated that a SonoBiopsy procedure in patients with brain tumors was safe and feasible for facilitating liquid biopsies. Cordance Medical has partnered with SonoBiopsy investigators Dr. Eric Leuthardt and Dr. Hong Chen and recently announced the licensing of intellectual property with Washington University in St Louis.

Numerous preclinical studies employing focused ultrasound and microbubble-mediated BBB disruption have shown potential benefits for a range of neurological disorders. This modality provides a targeted, transient opening of the BBB, unlocking the potential to revolutionize both liquid biopsy and drug delivery techniques in conditions like glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), brain metastasis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurologic diseases.

"This Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA is a pivotal milestone for Cordance Medical and for patients requiring more efficacious diagnostic solutions," said Ryan Dittamore, CEO of Cordance Medical. "We are keen to continue our clinical trials and to collaborate closely with the FDA to bring this groundbreaking technology to market."

"The Breakthrough Device Designation demonstrates Cordance Medical's commitment to design a safe, patient-centric device for patients with brain diseases," added Dr. Ramamurthy, CTO and co-founder of Cordance Medical.

For more information about Cordance Medical and the NeuroAccess platform, visit Cordance Medical's website.

For more information about FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, visit the FDA website.

About Cordance Medical

Cordance Medical is a seed-stage medical technology company focused on developing, validating, and distributing a patient-centric non-invasive, small-footprint, and portable clinical device—the NeuroAccess platform. The platform aims to improve drug delivery and enable liquid biopsy for patients with neurological diseases by safely, temporarily, and non-invasively opening the BBB.

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SOURCE Cordance Medical