Mauna Kea Technologies Announces the Signature of a Strategic Partnership With University of Edinburgh for Novel Optical Biopsy Device for Pulmonary Applications

PARIS--(Marketwire - Nov 21, 2012) -   Mauna Kea Technologies (EURONEXT PARIS: MKEA), leader in the optical biopsy market and developer of Cellvizio®, the fastest way to see cancer, today announced that it has entered into a research agreement through a collaboration negotiated by Edinburgh BioQuarter and the University of Edinburgh to develop a novel molecular imaging device for use in conjunction with Cellvizio. If successful, the combined technology could dramatically change the way physicians diagnose and monitor patients with lung disease.

Mauna Kea Technologies will be working with a multidisciplinary team of scientists and physicians from the Medical Research Council Centre for Inflammation Research (CIR) in the Queen's Medical Research Institute (QMRI) and the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. The collaboration will enable the development of a device to be used with QMRI's clinical-grade novel molecular imaging Smartprobes which selectively generate fluorescent signals that can then be imaged with Cellvizio.

"The ability to precisely deliver a molecular imaging Smartprobe to the lung and then perform optical biopsies with Cellvizio has the potential to revolutionize pulmonary medicine leading to rapid diagnosis, personalized tailored therapy and monitoring. This is an exciting and ground-breaking strategic partnership that we hope will lead to significant healthcare benefits. The initial focus will be in patients with life-threatening inflammatory lung disease in intensive care where rapid diagnosis and accurate monitoring is imperative," said Kev Dhaliwal, M.D., Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine at the CIR.

Mauna Kea Technologies will also collaborate on this project with the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. University of Utah researchers have been utilizing the Cellvizio Lab system since 2009 and will leverage their significant experience to expedite the device development process.

"The addition of molecular imaging capabilities to Cellvizio's optical biopsies is a logical next step for the company. Mauna Kea Technologies recently introduced its Cellvizio Dual Band for use in pre-clinical imaging at the World Molecular Imaging Congress. Since then, interest in our Dual Band has been very strong within the research community. The collaboration with Edinburgh BioQuarter at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Utah demonstrates our ongoing commitment to remain at the forefront of optical biopsy innovation," said Sacha Loiseau, CEO and Founder of Mauna Kea Technologies.

About Mauna Kea Technologies
Mauna Kea Technologies is a global medical device company dedicated to the advent of optical biopsy. The company researches, develops and markets innovative tools to visualize and detect cellular abnormalities during endoscopic procedures. Its flagship product, Cellvizio®, a probe-based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy (pCLE) system, provides physicians and researchers high-resolution cellular views of tissue inside the body. Large, international, multicenter clinical trials have demonstrated Cellvizio's ability to help physicians more accurately detect early forms of disease and make treatment decisions immediately. Designed to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs within a hospital, Cellvizio can be used with almost any endoscope. Cellvizio has 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European CE-Mark for use in the GI tract, biliary and pancreatic ducts and lungs.

About BioQuarter
Edinburgh BioQuarter is a joint venture between Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., the NHS, the University of Edinburgh and Scottish Enterprise. Edinburgh BioQuarter commercializes world-leading medical research and brings investors, ideas and companies together at the BioQuarter campus on the outskirts of Edinburgh. www.bioquarter.com

About the University of Edinburgh:
Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh has for more than 400 years been one of the most influential centres of knowledge in the world. Located in the Scottish capital, among the great figures who have studied at Edinburgh are naturalist Charles Darwin, philosopher David Hume, telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Pioneering research linked to Edinburgh includes the discovery of chloroform, the TB vaccination, microchips which power iPod music players and the cloning of Dolly the Sheep. Today Edinburgh is home to nearly 28,000 students. 

About University of Utah
The University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City in the foothills of the Wasatch Range, is the flagship institution of higher learning in Utah. Founded in 1850, it serves more than 31,000 students from across the United States and the world. With more than 72 major subjects at the undergraduate level and more than 90 major fields of study at the graduate level, including law and medicine, the university prepares students to live and compete in the global workplace. Learn more about all the U has to offer online at http://www.utah.edu.

For more information on Mauna Kea Technologies, visit www.maunakeatech.com