SAN DIEGO– Dalrada Corporation (OTCQB: DFCO, “Dalrada”), an innovator in healthcare, green energy, and technology, today announced that the Company completed a second clinical trial on its patent-pending cerVIA™ (visual inspection with acetic acid) kit used to screen for cervical cancer, allowing preventative measures in India with one hundred women. The second clinical study was significantly delayed due to COVID-19, and research data is now published in the perinatology and reproductive biology IJOPARB Journal article “Experience of Conducting Cervical Cancer Screening During Covid-19 Pandemic.”
Around the world, amid COVID-19 pandemic fears, cancer screening services were paused, and patients postponed preventative healthcare screenings. Research by hospitals participating in the National Cancer Grid reveals a more than 60% reduction in outpatients in India. Across all cancers such as breast, cervix, colon, lung, and prostate, cancer screening rates declined by 60 to 80% compared to pre-pandemic screening rates (Source: Bakouny et al.).
Dr. Payal Keswarpu, Dalrada Health’s Chief Medical Officer, who led the cervical cancer screening study, shares, “Innovative tests and healthcare delivery can help restart screening services to reach the goal set by the WHO, to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.”
Cervical cancer contributes to a significant number of cancer cases every year, especially in developing countries with limited medical resources. Every year a total of 569,847 new cases of cervical cancer are detected globally, with approximately 311,365 deaths. About 85% of these deaths occurred in low and middle-income countries. In India, there are about 75,000 new cases detected annually. (Source: IJOPARB Journal)
Dr. Keswarpu continues, “We could offer screening services in our hospital without crowding and maintaining social distance. The VIA kit was helpful; we always had the necessary items to conduct the test faster, reducing patient exposure time in the hospital. Also, adopting VIA as a screening procedure helped us reduce hospital visits for the women by providing instant results and decisions on next steps.”
A test’s accuracy in identifying individuals without a condition or characteristic is specificity.
Data from the first cervical cancer clinical study conducted in India revealed that cerVIA™ was 96.8% specific.
In the second preventive cervical cancer screening study conducted in India, one hundred women ages 31-65 were screened with Pap smear and VIA using the cerVIA™ kit. The second clinical study data reveals VIA’s accuracy at 91%.
Developed by Dalrada Health, the patent-pending cerVIA™ Kit consists of standardized components needed to perform a VIA test on the cervix with all active ingredients sourced from FDA or ISO-approved facilities.
As the pandemic continues, innovative approaches to restoring practitioner-patient engagements include telehealth consultations, accessible diagnostic tests, and care closer to home.
Dr. Keswarpu adds, “One such innovation is the VIA Kit, which enables quick examination compared to standard preparation time of getting all necessary instruments, disposables, and reagents prepared. This approach will help in less time spent in a healthcare facility. In addition, there is no risk of cross-infection between patients, as all items are single-use for one patient.”
