GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – Standing alongside a new multimillion-dollar medical scanner on Monday, Dr. Anthony Chang said his company, Grand Rapids-based BAMF Health, now has the tools to quickly identify cancer and start treatment.
He likened the technology, Michigan’s first full-body positron emission tomography scanner and one of the few nationwide, to “the most advanced combat aircraft” available.
“We can shorten 40 minutes of a scan to one minute,” Zhang said, speaking outside the BAMF Health office at Michigan State University’s Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building in Grand Rapids. “This is a powerful and effective diagnostic tool.”
Founded in 2018, BAMF Health is expected to begin treating patients with prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors in June or July. Using molecular imaging and molecular-guided radiotherapy, the company provides patients with what it calls intelligence-based precision medicine.
The scanner, which costs between $15 and $20 million and is manufactured by Houston-based United Imaging, is one of the final pieces of BAMF Health equipment needed before it can open its doors this summer. Officials say patients from all over the country are expected to seek treatment there.
One reason: Shorter, more accurate cancer screenings.
The device can detect signs of cancer as small as 2 millimeters in size, Zhang said. By comparison, conventional scanners have a resolution of about one centimeter. There are 10 millimeters in one centimeter.
“This means very early detection,” he said. This will be critical to many cancer patients. Because staging the cancer, and knowing if there is any metastatic cancer, is critical.”
He added, “Because of the limitations of a conventional scanner, we think we kill all cancers, but we don’t actually kill. There are a lot of little things about the body that we can’t see. This machine is going to solve that problem.”
As of now, BAMF Health focuses solely on prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. But Zhang said he expects “soon” to expand his focus to other cancers as well as heart-related diseases and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
“This is the future, and it is in the near future,” he said.
The scanner, which is not yet fully assembled, was unveiled during a media event Monday at Michigan State University’s Doug Major Building for Medical Innovation. The meeting was attended by Rep. Luke Merman, officials from Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, Doug Major, and others.
Meijer, whose family founded the Meijer supermarket chain, is a prostate cancer survivor, and a supporter of Chang and BAMF Health. He and the Meijer Foundation donated $19.5 million to MSU to help open the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building and purchase BAMF Health equipment.
His interest in the project stemmed from his own battle with prostate cancer. About five years ago, he traveled to Germany with Zhang to receive treatment for prostate cancer. His treatment involved technology similar to what BAMF Health and MSU at Grand Rapids are pursuing.
“It doesn’t seem right that there are very few people there,” Major said, describing why he invested in BAMF Health and made cancer-fighting technology available in Michigan.
He hoped that BAMF’s technology, as it could provide scans to more people in a shorter period of time, would reduce treatment costs.
BAMF Health is one of several tenants that will eventually occupy the Doug Major Medical Innovation Building, which was created with the goal of bringing discoveries to market in the areas of cancer research, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, artificial intelligence and medical device development.
The exterior of the building is complete, but interior construction to prepare the space for tenants is ongoing, said Jerry Koeman, associate dean for external relations at the MSU School of Human Medicine.
Other tenants in the building include Spectrum Health, MSU researchers who focus on big data, artificial intelligence, Trinity Health, venture capital firms, and more. Some tenants, such as the Spectrum, are expected to move in by the fall.
“I think we’re making incredible progress, especially given that this entire building was constructed during COVID,” Koeman said.
He said there were challenges.
Some tenants, due to the pandemic, are reassessing how much space they will need and how many employees will be working in person versus remotely. However, Koeman said the building attracts startups who value the idea of working in close proximity to other biotech companies.
“It combines,” he said. “You always want to come together faster, but we’re really excited about where we are.”
Officials working in the biosciences sector say the arrival of BAMF Health is a big deal for Grand Rapids.
“The world will change here in Grand Rapids, and Anthony will help lead the mission,” said Eric Eckard, senior director of business development at The Right Place, an economic development group based in Grand Rapids.
Speaking at Monday’s media event, Zhang said he was eager to begin treating patients with what he described as the “world’s most advanced” medical imaging technology.
“The new world is coming, new drugs are coming, and it all starts from here in Grand Rapids, Michigan,” he said.
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