A Medical Device Daily

Given Imaging (Yokneam, Israel) reported that the Veterans Administration National Acquisition Center (VANAC) has granted the company a new five-year Federal Supply Schedule contract worth about $7.5 million. The contract consolidates existing accounts Given has within the federal government and provides government entities, including VA medical centers and Department of Defense facilities easier access to Given’s products, the company said.

“This contract solidifies a relationship that Given Imaging has built with the federal government over the past several years and should facilitate the flow and administration of transactions with the U.S. government,” said Chris Rowland, president of Given Imaging.

The VA contract also covers Indian Health Services and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The contract covers all Given Imaging products including the Given Workstation, PillCam SB, PillCam ESO and Agile patency capsule, the company noted.

Given develops products for detecting gastrointestinal disorders. The company’s PillCam platform features the PillCam video capsule, a disposable, miniature video camera contained in a capsule, which is ingested by the patient, a sensor array, data recorder and RAPID software.

In other contract news: The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech; Socorro) and Biomoda (Albuquerque) have partnered with the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services (DVS) to conduct a $350,000 clinical study aimed at detecting early lung cancer in the state’s veterans.

New Mexico Tech, a science and engineering research university will administer the clinical program. Biomoda, a biotech company focusing on early cancer detection technology, through its Albuquerque office, will conduct the first year of the program using its non-invasive diagnostic technology designed for cost-efficient screening of early stage lung cancer in large populations.

Biomoda’s technology is designed to identify cancerous or aberrant cells from samples of lung sputum. Cancerous cells glow red under fluorescent light and can be detected under a microscope. The technology is non-invasive and designed for cancer screening of large populations at a reasonable cost, the company said.