Lumicell Co-Founder Moungi Bawendi Awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Bawendi’s expertise in optics, fluorescent molecules and tissue imaging were instrumental in development of Lumicell Direct Visualization System, which is currently under FDA review

NEWTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lumicell, Inc., a privately held company focused on innovative fluorescence-guided imaging technologies for cancer surgery, today announced company co-founder Moungi G. Bawendi, PhD, is one of three recipients of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots.

The investigational Lumicell Direct Visualization System (DVS), which is designed to assist in the detection of residual cancerous tissue during lumpectomy using fluorescence imaging, was developed in Bawendi’s lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His expertise in optics and tissue imaging guided the design and invention of the imaging device, and his expertise in the physio-chemical properties of fluorescent molecules led to the design of the company’s imaging agent LUMISIGHT.

“It’s exciting to see Professor Bawendi’s research into quantum dots, which has enabled breakthroughs in medical imaging, display technology and electronic materials, recognized with the top scientific prize in the world,” said Jorge Ferrer, PhD, senior vice president, clinical research and strategy at Lumicell, and co-inventor of Lumicell’s technology developed at Bawendi’s MIT lab. “His expertise has been instrumental in the development of our investigational Lumicell Direct Visualization System, and he continues to be an important scientific advisor as we work toward FDA approval of the Lumicell DVS for breast cancer and embark on the development of new imaging technologies to expand into other cancers.”

The Lumicell DVS has been evaluated in more than 700 breast cancer patients across five clinical studies at top academic and regional community cancer centers. The New Drug Application (NDA) for the LUMISIGHT™ Optical Imaging Agent and Premarket Approval (PMA) application for the Lumicell™ Direct Visualization System (DVS) are currently under review by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

Images are available for download from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

About the Lumicell Direct Visualization System and LUMISIGHT Optical Imaging Agent

The Lumicell™ DVS is an investigational system designed for use in patients with breast cancer to assist in the detection of residual malignant tissue within the lumpectomy cavity following removal of the primary specimen during breast conserving surgery. The investigational Lumicell Direct Visualization System (DVS) is intended for use with the investigational LUMISIGHT Optical Imaging Agent and features a hand-held imaging probe that is designed to go inside the breast cavity and a patient-calibrated cancer detection software to assist in the detection of residual cancer, thereby enabling a more complete cancer resection. Lumicell’s proprietary, pan-oncologic optical imaging agent LUMISIGHT is also being explored across a wide variety of solid tumor indications.

The Lumicell DVS and LUMISIGHT are limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use only. The Lumicell DVS and LUMISIGHT are not commercially available.

About Lumicell, Inc.

Lumicell is a privately held company focused on improving surgical outcomes and reducing healthcare costs by utilizing its innovative fluorescence-guided surgical technologies to enable a more complete resection of cancer that may have otherwise been left behind. The company’s first product is the Lumicell Direct Visualization System, designed to illuminate residual breast cancer tissue within the breast cavity following removal of the primary specimen during the initial lumpectomy procedure. For more information, please visit www.lumicell.com and follow the company on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.