NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Lucid Diagnostics Inc. (Nasdaq: LUCD) a commercial-stage, cancer prevention medical diagnostics company, and subsidiary of PAVmed Inc. (Nasdaq: PAVM, PAVMZ), today announced the appointment of highly accomplished molecular biologist Suman M. Verma, M.D., Ph.D. as Lucid’s Chief Scientific Officer and PAVmed’s VP, Molecular Diagnostics.
“I am very pleased to welcome Dr. Verma to the Lucid Diagnostics team,” said Lishan Aklog M.D., Lucid’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “In her role as VP of Genomic Services at our CLIA laboratory partner, ResearchDx, Dr. Verma played a central role in transferring the EsoGuard® Esophageal DNA Test from the Case Western Reserve University research laboratory to a commercial laboratory setting, completing the CLIA validation process, and launching EsoGuard as a commercially available Laboratory Developed Test. We are so fortunate to have someone with such deep experience and expertise in cutting-edge molecular diagnostics techniques and technology, as well as intimate knowledge of all aspects of the EsoGuard assay, to serve as our Chief Scientific Officer.”
“I am excited to join this remarkable company and team, and I look forward to contributing to Lucid’s important mission of preventing deadly esophageal cancer,” said Dr. Verma. “I look forward to working with my Lucid colleagues, as well as our industry and academic partners to advance the underlying science of our assay, continually improve its performance, and expand our portfolio of molecular diagnostic tools in esophageal disease and beyond.”
Dr. Verma most recently served as VP, Research & Development at Irvine, CA-based Bridge Diagnostics, a National Molecular Laboratory focused on infectious disease and women’s health. Prior to that, over the previous decade, she served in various research scientist and senior executive roles at Irvine, CA-based ResearchDx, Inc. a leading contract diagnostics organization (CDO) for the biopharmaceutical and diagnostic industries and long-time CLIA laboratory partner of Lucid Diagnostics. As VP, Genomic Services she led the development and implementation of numerous molecular diagnostic assays using the full spectrum of cutting edge molecular biologic techniques and technologies. Dr. Verma earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California Irvine, during which she performed and published on important research in breast cancer biology and targets for therapeutic intervention in breast cancer. Prior to immigrating to the U.S., Dr. Verma earned her medical degree at Maharishi Dayanand University in Rohtak, India, completed her internal medicine training at Civil hospital, Ballabgarh, India, and served as a staff physician active in clinical research in Faridabad, India.
About Lucid Diagnostics
Lucid Diagnostics Inc. (Nasdaq: LUCD) is a commercial-stage, cancer prevention medical diagnostics company, and subsidiary of PAVmed Inc. (Nasdaq: PAVM). Lucid is focused on the millions of patients with gastroesophageal disease (GERD), also known as chronic heartburn, who are at risk of developing esophageal precancer and cancer. Lucid’s EsoGuard® Esophageal DNA Test, performed on samples collected in a brief noninvasive office procedure with its EsoCheck® Esophageal Cell Collection Device, is the first and only commercially available diagnostic test capable of serving as a widespread screening tool to prevent cancer and cancer deaths through early detection of esophageal precancer in at-risk GERD patients. EsoGuard is commercialized in the U.S. as a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT). EsoCheck is commercialized in the U.S. as a 510(k)-cleared esophageal cell collection device. EsoGuard, used with EsoCheck, was granted FDA Breakthrough Device designation and is the subject of two large, actively enrolling, international multicenter clinical trials to support FDA PMA approval. Lucid is building a network of Lucid Test Centers where at-risk GERD patients can undergo the EsoCheck procedure for EsoGuard testing.
