Echosens
Non-Invasive Liver Diagnostics and Treatment Assistance

The minimisation or complete elimination of invasive tests or treatments in conjunction with a cost-effective operational model is considered as the pinnacle of technological advancements in the medical field. On this note, many medical technology companies are looking to change the way a physician diagnoses diseases and administers remedies with innovative solutions that are less harmful to patients both physically and mentally. One such firm—Echosens—is looking to provide an alternative to a much-lauded standard procedure biopsy with its revolutionary, non-invasive liver diagnosis device, FibroScan. The device is the manifestation of years of dedicated research conducted to provide an alternative to biopsy with an easier-to-use technology.

First developed 19 years ago and brought to market after rigorous, iterative testing, FibroScan remains a game-changer even today. The patented proprietary diagnostics system is powered by VCTE™ (Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography) at its core and functions similar to an ultrasound. “The FibroScan test is very straightforward and can be performed by either a doctor or a nurse, inducing no pain whatsoever to the patient while delivering the results instantaneously,” says Dominique Legros, CEO at Echosens. For a test to be performed, the patient lies down on a bed, and the doctor/ nurse can use the attached probe to locate the liver and make a measurement. The entire procedure lasts for about five to ten minutes, depending on the patient’s morphology. Paving the way for such utilitarian medical practices, organisations such as Medical Societies and payers are devising avenues to eventually reduce the use of biopsies in cases where it is not required.

Drilling down on the applicability of FibroScan, Echosens concentrates on the effective diagnosis and monitoring of conditions such as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases (NAFLD), of which, Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is considered to be the most dangerous. The aim is to replace the heavy-cost, highly-invasive, and painful biopsy procedure that is seen as the current standard for the active investigation and remedy of such medical conditions. With FibroScan, physicians have access to results from two surrogate biomarkers, the first of which is liver stiffness measurement, LSM by VCTE™ to assess liver fibrosis, followed by CAP™ to assess steatosis, both are acting as direct parameters for assessing the condition of the liver. In some cases, these surrogate biomarkers are combined with circulatory biomarkers such as blood to derive better results. At biotech laboratories and drug development centres, the combination of the biomarkers allows for patients to be screened, diagnosed and monitored more effectively while undergoing treatment. Similarly, across hospitals, FibroScan can be implemented in any hepatology, gastroenterology and endocrinology department to monitor liver conditions.

A similar utilisation of FibroScan can be observed through the collaborations between Echosens and a large number of pharma and drug development firms. During the era of introduction on the market of a new drug for Hepatitis C, Echosens deployed its FibroScan system to perform multiple checks and identify patients eligible for treatment. Lately, Echosens is collaborating with companies with ongoing trials for NASH drugs and is well positioned to become a key component of the identification and management of patients with this condition once drugs will arrive on the market.

With over 6400 units installed across 80 countries, Echosens believes that the FibroScan technology can scale further, and is proposing a plan that would increase its focus to key markets such as Japan, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, and Germany, with limited penetration of non-invasive tests. On the technological side, Echosens will continue to increase the performance efficiency of its devices and improve the usability, accuracy and integrity of conducted test. “To remain at the top, we will continue to work on different configurations that are more effective and accurate in combating the liver diagnostic challenges,” concludes Dominique Legros.