Lumicure's Portable Photodynamic Therapy Against Skin Cancer

Filed in archive Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics on May 22, 2007

Scottish company Lumicure has developed a new portable light-activated device to treat skin cancer. If approved by the FDA, it's a convenient, painless and inexpensive alternative to chemotherapy and standard photodynamic therapy.

Lumicure's treatment is a new twist on an existing treatment called photodynamic therapy. It starts with a cream containing aminolevulinic acid, which becomes photosensitive when it comes in contact with a cancer lesion. When exposed to light, the cream interacts with only the cancerous cells, making it a very selective skin treatment.

Lumicure's light source is a low-powered organic light-emitting diode embedded in a small adhesive device. Its battery module -- roughly the size of an MP3 player -- fits easily in a pocket.

The device is estimated to cost about $200 to $300, compared with roughly $15,000 to $20,000 for the standard therapy. Human trials are ongoing and the company hopes to launch the device in about two years.

More on Lumicure's device from the University of St. Andrews.

Photo Credit: Alan Richardson