Oxford-based biotechnology firm Perspectum has received the UK’s Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approval for CoverScan MD, an MRI-based technology that maps the effects of Covid-19 on various organs of the body.
The company said that one in every 20 Covid-19 patients would experience ongoing symptoms, including extreme fatigue, chest pain, breathlessness, muscle aches and brain fog, and is called Long COVID.
Long Covid would affect 10-30% of people who have symptomatic infection with Sars-CoV-2 and is defined as symptomatic disease lasting longer than 12 weeks. Many of people with Long Covid are said to experience organ damage, and face difficulties in working for long intervals.
Perspectum said that its CoverScan MD is designed help the medical professionals quickly assess and evaluate patients.
COVERSCAN study patient Lyth Hishmeh said: “I’m thrilled to hear that Coverscan has been granted approval by MHRA. I cannot stress enough how much myself and a large number of people with Long Covid have benefitted from Coverscan.
“For those of us with organ damage, it has accelerated our access to treatment by informing us exactly what organs need to be examined further, while for the rest of us, it has brought us invaluable peace of mind. This is a step in the right direction, and I hope everyone who is misfortunate enough to suffer from Long Covid can benefit from this.”
CoverScan MD eliminates need for numerous individual tests
CoverScan MD is a software suite designed to offer a complete, one-stop-shop assessment to detect the organ damage in the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, and spleen.
According to the company, the single, quick MRI exam eliminates the need for numerous individual tests.
The technology will help healthcare providers to identify coronavirus-related systemic organ damage through scanned images of patients’ vital organs, to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Using CoverScan MD, doctors in the UK will gain access to a technology for evaluating patients with Long COVID, while better understanding its symptoms and long-term impact on different organ systems simultaneously.
North London Long Covid care services head Melissa Heightman said: “The MHRA authorisation of Coverscan is timely.
“UK experts and NICE are developing a COVID follow up pathway which provides equitable access and high-quality community-based triage with rapid access to diagnostics and multi-speciality services.
“We have seen over 800 patients in North London, and it would be very valuable for their clinical care to be able to access COVERSCAN results.”
