Renowned Investigators Awarded $8 Million NIH Grant to Study Lucid Diagnostics' EsoGuard® in At-Risk Patients without Symptomatic GERD

Core Insights - Lucid Diagnostics Inc. is collaborating with a consortium of academic medical centers to conduct a five-year clinical study on esophageal precancer detection, supported by an $8 million NIH grant [1][2][3] - The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Lucid's EsoCheck and EsoGuard technologies in detecting Barrett's Esophagus among at-risk individuals without GERD symptoms [2][3] - The research will involve 800 patients across five centers, focusing on improving detection rates in a population that is currently underserved by existing screening guidelines [2][3] Company Overview - Lucid Diagnostics is a commercial-stage cancer prevention medical diagnostics company and a subsidiary of PAVmed Inc., focusing on patients at risk of esophageal precancer and cancer due to GERD [4] - The company's EsoGuard Esophageal DNA Test and EsoCheck Esophageal Cell Collection Device are the first commercially available tools aimed at early detection of esophageal precancer [4] Research Significance - Nearly half of prevalent esophageal cancer cases occur in patients without GERD symptoms, highlighting the need for improved screening methods [3] - The study is expected to significantly expand the target population for EsoGuard testing, potentially impacting esophageal cancer-related mortality rates [3]