Clyde Ishii, MD, President of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) announced today significant financial contributions from breast implant manufacturers Allergan and Sientra, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIEN) to develop software that will enable ASAPS to acquire data on the rare condition Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). The technology will enable both the organization and the industry to garner data and improve outcomes directly at the point-of-care, via ASAPS members’ practices.
BIA-ALCL is a rare spectrum of disorders that can range from a benign accumulation of fluids around the breast (seroma) to an extremely rare lymphoma that, when caught early, is readily curable. It is not a cancer of the breast tissue itself. On a global scale, approximately 30,000,000 women have breast implants worldwide, and there have been 12 reported deaths associated with BIA-ALCL worldwide.
“ASAPS is a leading organization of ABPS board-certified plastic surgeons specializing in aesthetic procedures of the face and body. Their objective for patient safety and evidence based outcomes align perfectly with Sientra’s primary mission. We are proud to fund this technology that will help us better understand and get to the bottom of this extremely rare condition,” said Jeffrey M. Nugent, Chairman and CEO of Sientra. “The promise of point-of-care data will give us new insights into the cause and prevention of this condition.”
“While BIA-ALCL is rare, this alliance with ASAPS to study BIA-ALCL will enable a broader understanding of the condition vital to treatment and prevention efforts,” explains Gavin Corcoran SVP, Chief Medical Officer of Allergan. “The correct data points and the right group of surgeons to collect them from is vital to our understanding of the condition.”
“Our software is able to actually track breast implants or any other implantable device making it possible to follow the patient for years to come. The software could easily be used for any type of Medical Registry, working in conjunction with data that is currently being collected. It will also be invaluable to our research efforts via the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation (ASERF), our organization specifically created for aesthetic research. This would not be possible without the generous support of Allergan and Sientra,” commented Dr. Ishii. “ASAPS is dedicated to patient safety and quality outcomes, as well as evidence-based clinical decisions. This initiative and funding will make a significant difference in our understanding and continued commitment to our patients.”
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