HARTFORD—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced CytoVeris, based in Farmington, has been named May’s “Innovator of the Month.” CytoVeris is a medical device company developing optical smart cancer imaging technologies designed to improve the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing certain cancer removal procedures by using enhanced clinical decision-making during surgery.

CytoVeris’ innovative technology, TumorMAP™ powered by OncoSight AI™, provides surgeons with real-time visualization to more quickly and reliably evaluate cancerous and non-cancerous tissue, leading to more successful surgeries and potentially eliminating the need for repeat procedures. The clinically driven technology aims to reduce the economic burden of re-excision surgeries on patients and the health care system, which costs billions of dollars annually. CytoVeris currently is focused on the identification of potentially cancerous tissue during breast conserving surgery (BCS) but is expanding the application of the technology to include other disease areas including bladder and liver cancer.

“Connecticut has one of the highest rates of breast cancer in the country, and after diagnosis, patients often face the physical, emotional and financial burden of resection surgeries. The team at CytoVeris is developing game-changing technology to improve health outcomes and lower health care costs by enhancing the accuracy of cancer removal. I’m proud to highlight their work, especially as they continue expanding their footprint in Connecticut, and look forward to seeing all they accomplish,” said Murphy.

“We are honored to be recognized by Senator Murphy as Innovator company of the month,” said Alan Kersey, President & CEO of CytoVeris.  “Following a cancer diagnosis, patients have many real concerns – but the concern of needing multiple surgeries to remove all of their cancer shouldn’t be one of them. Through our smart cancer imaging solutions, we’re driven to prove what’s possible during cancer resection and enhance the surgical options for providers and the quality of care for patients – no matter who they are or where they live.”

CytoVeris, which currently has 16 employees in Connecticut, will be adding more staff as it enters its product commercialization phase. In March, the company announced the extension of their research partnership with Yale University and the Smilow Cancer Center. The collaboration is focused on the continuous development of the AI-driven algorithm, OncoSight AI™, which serves as the foundation for their optical-based guided tools designed to identify cancerous tissue during surgery.

“We are now entering a very exciting phase for the CytoVeris team. We have demonstrated our AI-driven algorithm can distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissue with high accuracy, which will be valuable in assisting the surgeon in cancer resection surgery.  We are in the initial phase of engaging the FDA on our regulatory submissions on our product, TumorMAP™, and will be conducting a multi-site clinical study later next year to support our commercialization pathway,” said Patrick Curry, COO and VP Finance.

Murphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are the building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies—the Angel Tax Credit Act and the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year.

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