Cyclopharm Limited’s (ASX: CYC) proprietary technology Technegas has been shown to have a key role in the diagnosis and management of patients who are experiencing ongoing impacts from COVID-19.
In a peer reviewed article published in the Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, researchers at McMaster University in Ontario Canada using the imaging method VQ-SPECTCT1 with Cyclopharm’s proprietary ventilation radiopharmaceutical Technegas found the technique had the potential to be “a valuable tool for clinicians in the management of patients who are being evaluated after COVID-19 as it permits objective evaluation of functional lung impairment that may underly and help explain post-COVID-19 symptoms”.
The study concluded that the “Technegas imaging study revealed ventilation impairment in individuals with no history of lung disease recovering from noncritical COVID-19 that was associated with parenchymal opacities, respiratory symptoms and exercise-capacity.”
The Long Covid study demonstrated the efficacy of Technegas in assessing impairment to lung function in individuals, with no history of lung disease, four-weeks after recovery from non-critical COVID19.
The paper concluded by stating “The temporal trajectories and long-term consequences of the early functional abnormalities we report are unknown and will be explored through follow-up of the same individuals.”
As part of its industry research engagement program, Cyclopharm assisted with the funding of the study, the findings of which were presented to the American Thoracic Society Annual Conference (“Long Covid Study”) on 17 May 2022 and subsequently published in the Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. The authors highlighted the utility of Technegas in the study by stating “Technegas is a widely available and guideline supported nuclear medicine ventilation imaging agent that behaves in a gaslike manner because of its small particle size permitting peripheral penetration and alveolar deposition.”
Cyclopharm’s Beyond PE strategy is designed to develop new functional lung diagnostic applications and new business growth opportunities by expanding the use of Technegas beyond the diagnosis and management of Pulmonary Embolism.
Cyclopharm Managing Director and CEO, James McBrayer, said to drive this strategy, the company is supporting several studies and pilot clinical trials targeted at respiratory medical referrers and researchers. The strategy includes supporting studies into the use of Technegas in the diagnosis and patient management of alternative disease states, such as Long COVID, COPD5, asthma and lung cancer, for the purpose of underpinning substantial increases in the use of Technegas globally.
We believe the outcomes of this Long COVID study, utilising existing installed infrastructure, support the tremendous potential of Cyclopharm’s Beyond PE strategy and the ability of the Technegas technology to offer meaningful benefits to clinicians and patients managing the ongoing impacts of COVID 19 infections,” Mr McBrayer said.
“A recent paper published by the USA Center for Disease Control6 estimated that the proportion of people with COVID-19 to go on to experience post-COVID conditions can vary from 13.3% at one month or longer after infection; 2.5% at three months or longer, based on self-reporting; to more than 30% at 6 months among patients who were hospitalised.
“This Long COVID study by McMaster University presented at the American Thoracic Society Annual Conference and published in the Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine last week are examples of how Cyclopharm is delivering on its strategy to promote the benefits of Technegas directly to Respiratory Medicine referrers beyond our traditional Nuclear Medicine customers.
“It also underscores our Beyond PE initiatives in the diagnosis and patient management of chronic conditions. Expansion into indications such as Long COVID, COPD, asthma and lung cancer will support substantial value creation for Cyclopharm’s shareholders.”