PHOENIX, Nov. 18, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VisionGate, Inc., a company developing a revolutionary non-invasive test for the early detection of lung cancer, today reported that it was awarded the 2011 Arizona Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Award for Innovator of the Year–Start-Up Company. VisionGate is developing LuCED(TM), a non-invasive lung cancer screening test that analyzes cells using the company’s breakthrough automated Cell-CT(TM) system. LuCED is initially being developed for use in conjunction with x-ray computed tomography (CT) screening to reduce false positive rates in early lung cancer detection. Data supporting the utility of the VisionGate technology were presented at a prestigious lung cancer conference earlier this year, and VisionGate recently entered several strategic partnerships for the clinical assessment of the LuCED technology.

“We are honored to be named the Arizona Start-Up Company Innovator of the Year,” commented Alan Nelson, PhD, chairman and CEO of VisionGate. “We believe that the scientific and corporate advances we achieved over the past year provide a solid foundation for the accelerated development of the Cell-CT technology and LuCED test now underway. By combining the high accuracy and cost effectiveness of our non-invasive LuCED diagnostic with the proven ability of CT screening to reduce lung cancer deaths, we hope to make mass screening feasible and affordable.”