PENTAX Medical, SMART Medical Systems announce strategic Pan-European alliance that will change the standard of care in colonoscopy

SMART Medical Systems, a developer and manufacturer of innovative endoscopy products, and PENTAX Medical, an industry leader in endoscopic imaging, announced a strategic pan-European alliance, under which PENTAX Medical will commercialise SMART's novel G-EYE endoscope in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The G-EYE endoscope is a high-quality HD+ PENTAX Medical colonoscope onto which SMART's G-EYE balloon is permanently integrated. The Controlled Withdrawal of the G-EYE endoscope with the balloon moderately inflated centralises the image in the colon lumen and flattens colon folds, thereby providing enhanced visualisation of the colon and enabling an increase in polyp detection.

Colorectal cancer, which evolves from pre-cancerous polyps (adenomas) that develop in the inner layer of the colon, is known as one of the most life-threatening cancer types. Colonoscopy is considered to be the gold standard of care for detecting polyps and preventing colorectal cancer. However, results from a tandem study in various centres in EMEA indicate that a significant number of polyps and adenomas (20% to 30%) are missed during routine colonoscopy. Due to its enhanced detection and reduced miss-rate, colonoscopy with the G-EYE is substantially more efficient in detecting polyps and adenomas than conventional colonoscopy, according to Prof Neumann (University of Erlangen-Nurumberg, Germany). Beyond detection enhancement, the G-EYE balloon is used for endoscope stabilisation during the endoscopic treatment, thereby allowing easier and faster polyp removal.

The G-EYE endoscope, distributed by PENTAX Medical, is based on PENTAX Medical's full HD+ colonoscopes, combining the G-EYE technology with state-of-the-art image quality.

"Our alliance with PENTAX Medical provides us with a great opportunity to serve the European medical community, enabling better treatment for patients and enhancing physicians' capabilities during the colonoscopy procedure," said Gadi Terliuc, SMART's CEO. "The G-EYE colonoscope provides optimal visualisation and exceptional detection capabilities. Clinical studies show additional adenoma detection yield of over 80%, almost doubled in comparison to standard colonoscopy."

"The agreement with SMART adds unique endoscopic technology to our product portfolio, and is aligned with our mission to provide high-quality patient care," said Dr Isma"el Nujurally, President EMEA of PENTAX Medical. "The combination of SMART's balloon-based endoscopy with our state-of-the-art imaging allows us to provide the market with a solution for the most advanced colonoscopy."

"The partnership with SMART further broadens our colonoscopy portfolio," said Ganesh Ramaswamy, Global President of PENTAX Medical. "We will continue to execute on our commitments to deliver world-class products and services that yield tremendous clinical value propositions and economic value additions for our customers and patients."

PENTAX Medical and SMART indicated their planned co-operation at the United European Gastroenterology Week (UEGW), recently held in Berlin, Germany.