SBIR-STTR Award

Clinical evaluation of the novel, uni-directional, PD-103 CivaSheet for Lung Cancer
Award last edited on: 9/20/2022

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NCI
Total Award Amount
$2,485,354
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
102
Principal Investigator
Kristy Perez

Company Information

Civatech Oncology Inc

2810 Meridian Parkway Suite 144
Durham, NC 27713
   (919) 314-5515
   sbabcock@civatechoncology.com
   www.civatechoncology.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 01
County: Durham

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R44CA217587-01
Start Date: 9/15/2017    Completed: 8/31/2018
Phase I year
2017
Phase I Amount
$296,866
CivaTech Oncology’s mission is to provide improved radiation therapy directly to localized tumors. The Company has developed a novel, polymer-encapsulated, membrane-like radiation source that emits radiation on only one side of the device – the CivaSheet. This directional source is compatible with open and minimally invasive surgical techniques and has FDA clearance to be used as primary or combined cancer therapy. The CivaSheet is a partially bio-absorbable implant that can be applied at the time of the initial surgery. The CivaSheet decreases the time between surgery and radiation therapy, which is a benefit to the patient. Additionally, the CivaSheet can shield healthy tissues while irradiating the diseased tissue or tumor margin. This shielding enables the CivaSheet to be implanted close to radiosensitive structures without overdosing them – a potential advantage for cancers in the thorax. In Phase I, CivaTech Oncology will confirm the CivaSheet does not move after implantation and that excellent dosimetry can be achieved. The CivaSheet will be implanted during lung lobe segmentation or wedge resection – a standard of care procedure for lung cancer patients who cannot tolerate full lobectomy. The CivaSheet will benefit these patients by delivering radiation therapy at the time of initial surgery to minimize delay in the treatment. For lung cancer patients complete lobectomy is preferred for patients who can tolerate it. For those who cannot, radiation to the surgical margin is a potential benefit. In Phase I, the safety of CivaSheet and general recommendations for its use in this patient population will be assessed. Changes to the surgical implant technique will be assessed as well. The Phase II will consist of two concurrent clinical trials exploring the use of the CivaSheet as boost radiation therapy in lung cancer patients. The rate of local recurrence in patients implanted with CivaSheet will be compared to the current rate of 20%. Additionally, the quality of life, pain, and mortality in each patient will be monitored. CivaSheet will reduce the radiation delivered to adjacent mediastinum and therefore should result in fewer side effects. Additionally, it will provide a conformal dose, reduce the risk for infection, and possibly reduce treatment related side effects. CivaSheet is a truly unique brachytherapy device that has the potential to become the first line of defense for localized cancer. CivaTech Oncology is committed to making the CivaSheet available to cancer patients in multiple indications.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
CivaTech Oncology has a membrane-like brachytherapy device – the CivaSheet – that is truly customizable to a specific patient’s condition and offers a unidirectional option to shield healthy tissue. Brachytherapy is a cost effective form of cancer therapy whereby localized radiation is delivered via devices implanted directly into a tumor or into a tumor cavity following surgery. The CivaSheet brachytherapy could minimize exposure of healthy tissue to radiation, thus reducing treatment induced side effects while potentially delivering a higher dose of radiation to the target tissues compared to external beam radiation treatment. In this grant application, we propose to investigate the use of the CivaSheet in lung cancer.

Project Terms:
Absorbable Implants; Acute; Adverse effects; Applications Grants; arm; Brachytherapy; Cancer Patient; cancer therapy; Chest; Chest wall structure; Clinical; clinical research site; Clinical Trials; cohort; cost effective; Data; Devices; Disease; Dose; Dose-Limiting; dosimetry; Effectiveness; Encapsulated; Excision; External Beam Radiation Therapy; follow-up; Gold; Grant; Heart; High-LET Radiation; Implant; implantable device; implantation; improved; in vivo; Infection; Injury; Institution; Instruction; Lobe; Lobectomy; Localized Malignant Neoplasm; Location; Lung; lung lobe; Malignant neoplasm of lung; Malignant Neoplasms; Mediastinum; Membrane; Methods; minimally invasive; Mission; Monitor; mortality; Movement; National Comprehensive Cancer Network; New York City; novel; oncology; Operative Surgical Procedures; Organ; Outcome; Overdose; Pain; Palladium 103; patient population; Patients; Phase; Polymers; Positioning Attribute; Procedures; Protocols documentation; Quality of life; Radiation; Radiation Oncologist; Radiation therapy; Radiation Tolerance; radiosensitive; Readiness; Recommendation; Recruitment Activity; Recurrence; Reporting; research clinical testing; Research Personnel; Resected; Risk; Safety; Side; Site; Source; standard of care; Statistical Data Interpretation; Structure; Surgeon; Surgical margins; Techniques; Testing; Therapeutic Effect; Time; TimeLine; Tissues; Toxic effect; Training; tumor; Tumor Tissue; Vertebral column; Work; X-Ray Computed Tomography

Phase II

Contract Number: 4R44CA217587-02
Start Date: 9/13/2017    Completed: 8/31/2020
Phase II year
2018
(last award dollars: 2021)
Phase II Amount
$2,188,488

CivaTech Oncology’s mission is to provide improved radiation therapy directly to localized tumors. The Company has developed a novel, polymer-encapsulated, membrane-like radiation source that emits radiation on only one side of the device – the CivaSheet. This directional source is compatible with open and minimally invasive surgical techniques and has FDA clearance to be used as primary or combined cancer therapy. The CivaSheet is a partially bio-absorbable implant that can be applied at the time of the initial surgery. The CivaSheet decreases the time between surgery and radiation therapy, which is a benefit to the patient. Additionally, the CivaSheet can shield healthy tissues while irradiating the diseased tissue or tumor margin. This shielding enables the CivaSheet to be implanted close to radiosensitive structures without overdosing them – a potential advantage for cancers in the thorax. In Phase I, CivaTech Oncology will confirm the CivaSheet does not move after implantation and that excellent dosimetry can be achieved. The CivaSheet will be implanted during lung lobe segmentation or wedge resection – a standard of care procedure for lung cancer patients who cannot tolerate full lobectomy. The CivaSheet will benefit these patients by delivering radiation therapy at the time of initial surgery to minimize delay in the treatment. For lung cancer patients complete lobectomy is preferred for patients who can tolerate it. For those who cannot, radiation to the surgical margin is a potential benefit. In Phase I, the safety of CivaSheet and general recommendations for its use in this patient population will be assessed. Changes to the surgical implant technique will be assessed as well. The Phase II will consist of two concurrent clinical trials exploring the use of the CivaSheet as boost radiation therapy in lung cancer patients. The rate of local recurrence in patients implanted with CivaSheet will be compared to the current rate of 20%. Additionally, the quality of life, pain, and mortality in each patient will be monitored. CivaSheet will reduce the radiation delivered to adjacent mediastinum and therefore should result in fewer side effects. Additionally, it will provide a conformal dose, reduce the risk for infection, and possibly reduce treatment related side effects. CivaSheet is a truly unique brachytherapy device that has the potential to become the first line of defense for localized cancer. CivaTech Oncology is committed to making the CivaSheet available to cancer patients in multiple indications.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
CivaTech Oncology has a membrane-like brachytherapy device – the CivaSheet – that is truly customizable to a specific patient’s condition and offers a unidirectional option to shield healthy tissue. Brachytherapy is a cost effective form of cancer therapy whereby localized radiation is delivered via devices implanted directly into a tumor or into a tumor cavity following surgery. The CivaSheet brachytherapy could minimize exposure of healthy tissue to radiation, thus reducing treatment induced side effects while potentially delivering a higher dose of radiation to the target tissues compared to external beam radiation treatment. In this grant application, we propose to investigate the use of the CivaSheet in lung cancer.

Project Terms:
Absorbable Implants; Acute; Adverse effects; Applications Grants; arm; Brachytherapy; Cancer Patient; cancer therapy; Chest; Chest wall structure; Clinical; clinical research site; Clinical Trials; cohort; cost effective; Data; Devices; Disease; Dose; Dose-Limiting; dosimetry; Effectiveness; Encapsulated; Excision; External Beam Radiation Therapy; follow-up; Gold; Grant; Heart; Implant; implantable device; implantation; improved; in vivo; Infection; Injury; Institution; Instruction; Lobe; Lobectomy; Localized Malignant Neoplasm; Location; Lung; lung lobe; Malignant neoplasm of lung; Malignant Neoplasms; Mediastinum; Membrane; Methods; minimally invasive; Mission; Monitor; mortality; Movement; National Comprehensive Cancer Network; New York City; novel; oncology; Operative Surgical Procedures; Organ; Outcome; Overdose; Pain; Palladium 103; patient population; Patients; Phase; Polymers; Positioning Attribute; primary endpoint; Procedures; Protocols documentation; Quality of life; Radiation; Radiation Oncologist; Radiation therapy; Radiation Tolerance; Readiness; Recommendation; recruit; Recurrence; Reporting; research clinical testing; Research Personnel; Resected; Risk; Safety; Side; Site; Source; standard of care; Statistical Data Interpretation; Structure; Surgeon; Surgical margins; Techniques; Testing; Therapeutic Effect; Time; TimeLine; Tissues; Toxic effect; Training; tumor; Tumor Tissue; Vertebral column; Work; X-Ray Computed Tomography