Press Releases

AUSTIN, TEXAS – The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) congratulates Apollo Endosurgery, one of the Institute’s first company investment grant recipients, for receiving approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin marketing its SuMO endoscopic tissue access and resection system.  The SuMO system is designed to allow the scarless surgical removal of certain precancerous gastrointestinal lesions during endoscopy procedures that include treatment for colorectal cancer.

According to the National Institute of Health, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.  Invasive esophageal or colon cancer can be avoided if polyps and precancerous lesions are detected early during regular endoscopies or colonoscopies and removed.  However, the removal of large, flat precancerous lesions typically requires major surgery, often involving resection of large segments of non-diseased esophagus or colon.  The SuMO system may prevent this very invasive treatment.

The SuMO system, which stands for Sub-Mucosal Operation, was developed to address the large polyp challenge.  By allowing the surgeon to tunnel underneath the lesion, dissect and then resect the tissue through a traditional endoscope, the SuMO system enables a less invasive GI procedure. "We are thrilled that Apollo’s work will make a significant difference in the early diagnosis and treatment of this deadly disease.  This is exactly the type of groundbreaking work that CPRIT was created to support and we are excited that this is the very first FDA approval of any of our funded companies!," said CPRIT Chairman Jimmy Mansour.

Apollo Endosurgery was one of three Texas companies to receive CPRIT’s inaugural company investment grant awards in August 2010.  The $5 million award helped fund the development and commercialization of the SuMO system.  A crucial component of CPRIT’s mission is to invest in Texas-based companies that accelerate the progression of new cancer drugs, diagnostics, and therapies from the laboratory to the patient. Since those first awards, CPRIT has invested more than $60 million in nine companies.  The Institute’s ability to promote commercialization pathways distinguishes it from more traditional cancer research funding sources.