Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE -- A Gwinnett company has landed a contract with a German organization it believes is revolutionizing the way cancer is detected.

Lawrenceville-based Trident Medical Imaging recently announced it had reached a cooperation and distribution agreement with German scientist Dr. Johannes Coy and company Tavarlin AG. Under the agreement, Trident will assist Tavarlin in bringing its cancer-detection products to the United States, as well as gain exclusive distribution rights for the state of Georgia.

"We are privileged and excited to have this unique opportunity," Trident President and CEO Fred Stuvek Jr. said in a statement. "This represents a paradigm shift in the way cancer can be diagnosed and treated."

The test the companies now hope will change cancer treatment is based on Coy's research of the TKTL-1 protein, which, in layman's terms, is believed to be a "direct and quantifiable indicator of the presence of cancer."

The blood test Trident will be helping distribute determines the presence of TKTL-1, and, according to officials, "detection of cancer through this process is possible at the earliest stages of the disease, allowing doctors an opportunity to find the disease early and possibly improve treatment."

In 2011, Tavarlin was recognized in Germany as startup company of the year.

"By providing the means to determine what is happening at the cellular level, and also being able to correlate this with advanced imaging techniques such at PET," Stuvek said, "we are able to offer the medical community unparalleled diagnostic and treatment capabilities throughout the entire spectrum of care."