The 4DMedical Ltd (ASX: 4DX) share price is trading 23% into the green on Wednesday following a company update.
Investors are rallying the share after it announced a "major success" in the 'burn pit' clinical trial. The trial is being conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, in Nashville in the United States.
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What did 4DMedical announce?
Preliminary results indicate that 4DMedical's XV Technology can detect constrictive bronchiolitis in military veterans, where pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and CT scans have failed to do so.
The XV Technology is a medical imaging platform that uses image-processing methods taken from aerospace engineering to perform deeper respiratory analysis.
Curiously, the background for the trial stems from a pattern of "disabling" respiratory symptoms observed in US military personnel. The symptoms include shortness of breath and coughing, but are severe enough to significantly impact daily function.
It is understood that exposure to toxic chemical fumes when disposing of and burning hazardous/non-hazardous waste was a factor for the personnel during their time serving in the Middle East.
The U.S. military constructed burn pits near bases across the Middle East to dispose of hazardous
and non-hazardous waste.A wide range of materials, including uniforms, chemicals, tyres, and even medical, animal and human waste, were burned in pits using jet fuel as an accelerant.
It is estimated that 3.5 million Veterans have been exposed to harmful toxins whilst deployed on operations since 2001.
The 'burn pit' trial looked at this symptomology and showed that XV Technology is accurate in identifying the constrictive bronchitis.
4DMedical also advised that it has a pre-agreed pricing structure with the Veteran Health Association (VHA). The agreement means the company can offer the procedure at US$171 per scan – without the need for reimbursement.
In the last 12 months, the 4DMedical share price is down more than 61%.
