Stellar says BladderChek detected all cancers in upper urinary tract

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., April 10 - Stellar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the clinical results for the Matritech NMP22BladderChek Test and reported that the test detected all of the cancers that occurred in the upper urinary tract of patients with risk factors or symptoms of bladder cancer.

Cystoscopy, a visual examination of the interior of the bladder using a scope inserted through the urethra, did not identify these tumors because they were outside the viewing area of the instrument, according to a company news release.

The tumors were also not detected by cytology, a commonly used laboratory test, the release said.

"The five-year survival rate for bladder cancer is more than 90% if the malignancy is detected early. With an estimated 270,000 Canadians tested each year for bladder cancer, we believe that the non-invasive NMP22BladderChek Test offers significant benefits to these patients in a cost-effective manner," president and chief executive officer Peter Riehl said in the release.

Stellar began sales of the NMP22BladderChek Test in Canada in October 2004 under an exclusive licensing agreement with Matritech, which runs until Dec. 31, 2008.

These results were presented Monday at the annual meeting of the European Association of Urology in Paris.

London, Ont.-based Stellar develops pharmaceutical products for select health care markets.

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