HLL Lifecare Limited, a Government of India Enterprise, has joined hands with UE LifeSciences to combat breast cancer in India by providing sales, marketing and distribution support for the iBreastExam nationwide. HLL has a strong distribution network reaching out to over 30,000 gynecologists across the country. For the year 2021-22, HLL registered a record revenue of $4.3B and a profit before tax of $67M.
K. Beji George IRTS, Chairman and Managing Director of HLL expressed happiness in the collaboration, stating “We are delighted to partner with UE LifeSciences to expand our women’s health product portfolio. With iBreastExam, we can provide access to early detection of breast cancer to every woman, right at their doorstep. The collaboration is set to benefit millions of women across India and save numerous lives.
iBreastExam offers a standardized process for clinical breast exams, eliminating variabilities in the examination process and the training challenges. Given the issues associated with mammogram screening in low resource settings, this device serves as a practical alternative for safe and effective triaging. Clinically validated through independent studies involving over 25,000 women, iBreastExam is a unique technology that promises to democratize women’s health.
Breast lumps are stiffer than normal breast tissue. iBreastExam incorporates Dynamic Co-Planar Capacitive (DCPC) Sensor Technology that measures the differences in tissue elasticity, in real-time, at the point of care and without requiring manual interpretation. It helps in identifying and triaging for clinically relevant breast lumps in healthy, asymptomatic women. Being hand-held, non-invasive, ultra-portable and radiation-free, it helps to bring early detection to women in the community, where they live and work. iBreastExam also facilitates seamless patient follow-up by securely storing data on the cloud.
iBreastExam has undergone over 8 independent clinical studies to validate the accuracy, effectiveness and acceptability in women. These independent studies were conducted by prestigious cancer research centers such as the Malabar Cancer Center (India), The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (USA) and others. The results have been published in peer-reviewed high-impact international journals such as The Lancet Global Health, The American Society of Breast Surgeons, San Antonio Breast Symposium, The Journal of Clinical Oncology, etc. The device has already obtained regulatory approvals in over 12 countries including US FDA, CE Mark, CDSCO and others.
This cost-effective solution has the potential to bring down the average cost per breast health checkup to approximately Rs 500. UE LifeSciences has supplied 2.5 million iBreastExam scans across South Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin American markets.
HLL plans to offer the product to various state governments for the implementation of early detection programs at various states. Furthermore, HLL will directly collaborate with private healthcare players and NGOs to expand the reach of iBreastExam across India.
About HLL Lifecare Limited
HLL Lifecare Limited (HLL) is a Mini Ratna Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. HLL was established in 1966 for the manufacture and supply of condoms under the National Family Planning Programme of Govt. of India. Over the years HLL has emerged as one of the foremost providers of healthcare products and services in India. With a wider spectrum of activities, HLL touches the lives of millions across the world thereby rightly realizing its motto of ‘Innovating for Healthy Generations’. The foundation of HLL’s legacy is its focus on high quality and affordable costs. HLL has an exclusive women healthcare division that offers products including female condoms, sanitary napkins, menstrual cups, pregnancy test kits, and others. It has a strong distribution network, reaching out to over 30,000 gynecologists across the country. For the year 2021-22, HLL registered a record revenue of $4.3B and a profit before tax of $67M.