PROMINENT MEDICAL CENTER PARTNERS WITH THE HOME OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE DIGNICAP SYSTEM
Norton Cancer Institute and Churchill Downs Join Forces to Foster Local Community Awareness for Breast Health Services
Lund, Sweden – April 27, 2017—Dignitana AB, an international leader in medical scalp-cooling technology and the manufacturer of the DigniCap® scalp cooling system, announced today a partnership with Churchill Downs and Norton Cancer Institute to raise funds to help area women who lack access to necessary breast health screenings and services receive care.
The DigniCap® system was the first scalp cooling device to receive FDA clearance after a rigorous clinical trial, where seven out of ten patients with early-stage breast cancer kept at least 50% of their hair. DigniCap® is available at Norton Cancer Institute and this partnership affords momentous improvement in care and resources for women including breast health programs, state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment resources, community screenings, support groups, genetic testing services and clinical trials.
“As the demand for this revolutionary scalp cooling treatment continues to grow in the U.S., we are motivated and eager to make a difference where it matters most – in the local community,” said William Cronin, Chief Executive Officer of Dignitana, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Dignitana AB. “This partnership between Churchill Downs and Norton Cancer Institute will make a difference to so many women as they undergo breast cancer treatment, and we are thrilled to aid in promoting breast health awareness to ensure that women have the care and screenings they need to tackle cancer.”
Through an online nomination, 143 breast and ovarian cancer survivors were selected to parade on the historic race track prior to the 143rd running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks. This innovative partnership combined with the “Survivors Parade” will be the centerpiece of the Oaks Day Pink Out Celebration to raise funds and drive national breast and ovarian health awareness.
Known as the home for the most popular events in horse racing including the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs is donating $50,000 this year during the Pink Out celebration that will be earmarked for the Breast Health Program at Norton Cancer Institute. Specifically, these funds will help cover the costs for at least 500 treatments for local breast cancer patients to utilize the DigniCap® system. Norton Cancer Institute is the first breast cancer care provider in Kentucky to offer patients the innovative DigniCap® scalp cooling system.
In the weeks leading up to the height or the horse racing season, the DigniCap® system is receiving wide attention from the local community as representatives from Norton Cancer Institute and Churchill Downs speak out on local broadcast stations across the region. Local news stations WLKY, WAVE3 TV, and WHAS11 have all discussed this significant partnership and local cancer patient Suzi Dennis has joined to speak about her personal journey using the treatment.
“I just finished my treatment and was lucky enough to use the DigniCap,” said Suzi Dennis, a patient undergoing chemotherapy at Norton Cancer Institute with the DigniCap system. “It gives you some control. Once you get that diagnosis, your course of treatment is out of your control. This gives you a choice and some control.”
To support the cause and donate online to Norton Cancer Institute through Sunday, May 7, 2017 visit www.kentuckyderby.com/survivors.
The DigniCap® scalp cooling system is available in 70 prestigious medical centers across 20 states—including 6 of the top 25 cancer centers in the United States and results from Dignitana’s multi-center clinical trial were published in February 2017 by The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The device features a patented tight-fitting silicone cooling cap that is placed directly on the head, and an outer neoprene cap that insulates and secures the silicone cap. The cooling cap is connected to a cooling and control unit with touch screen prompts. A liquid coolant circulates throughout the silicone cap, delivering consistent and controlled cooling to all areas of the scalp. The cap is fitted to the head, and the temperature of the scalp is lowered, resulting in vasoconstriction with reduced delivery of chemotherapy to the scalp, as well as reduced cellular uptake of drugs due to decreased intra follicular metabolic rate. These factors together reduce the risk of chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
About Dignitana AB (publ)
Dignitana is a Swedish public company, based in Lund, and manufacturer of the medical cooling device DigniCap®. Dignitana AB is listed on Nasdaq First North Stockholm and has appointed Erik Penser Bank as Certified Adviser. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Dignitana, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Dignitana AB. For more information, visit www.dignitana.com.
This information is information that Dignitana AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, by the above contact, for publication at 15.00 pm (CET), April 27, 2017.
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