TIDMEKF
RNS Number : 1463G
EKF Diagnostics Holdings PLC
02 March 2015
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc
("EKF", the "Company")
Collaboration to improve colon cancer treatment
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc (AIM: EKF), the AIM listed
point-of-care, central laboratory and molecular diagnostics
business, announces a major 18 month collaboration in the US, using
the Company's PrecisionPath(TM) technology to provide genetic
profiles of cancer tumours, which, if successful, will lead to
greatly improved treatment decisions for colon cancer patients.
The collaboration brings together EKF's subsidiary Selah
Genomics; Greenville Health Systems, one of the leading cancer
institutes in the US; DecisionQ Corporation; and Becton Dickinson
and Company, with the aim of creating a new way for community
doctors to decide on the most effective treatments for colon cancer
using the latest next generation sequencing technology as well as
artificial intelligence-based decision support algorithms.
In the US, as many as 60 per cent of all cancer patients with
solid tumours do not respond to first-line treatment, resulting in
further treatment cycles, higher costs, elevated toxicity and, most
importantly, lost time. The collaboration is designed to create a
unique personalised approach to cancer treatment whereby doctors
can have more certainty over prescribing the most effective
treatment for each individual patient.
Over the 18 month period, EKF's PrecisionPath(TM) will be used
to determine the genetic profiles of tumour samples provided by the
Institute for Translational Oncology Research, which is part of
Greenville Health Systems' Cancer Institute. At the same time
DecisionQ will employ its advanced machine-learning platform to
integrate the genetic profile data with existing clinical
annotations and the known outcomes of the patient samples to
validate the treatment indicated by the genetic profiling. If the
results successfully correlate, then this will help validate EKF's
PrecisionPath(TM) product in being able to improve clinical
decisions related to the treatment of colon cancer patients.
The research project is being funded in part by Becton Dickinson
who have first rights to license the technology should the
collaboration be a success. After the initial collaboration, a
clinical trial is planned to validate the research and affirm the
effectiveness of the new system as a clinical decision support tool
for community based doctors.
Julian Baines, CEO of EKF, commented: "The success of this
collaboration holds huge potential for changing the way in which
cancer treatments can be prescribed. This is an exciting prospect
which now has the backing of Becton Dickinson and the support of
Greenville Health Systems as one of the most respected cancer
institute in the US. PrecisonPath(TM) is one of a number of
molecular initiatives which EKF is working on and which we believe
will contribute to a leading suite of therapy enabling diagnostics
products."
Enquiries:
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc Tel: 029 2071 0570
David Evans, Executive Chairman Mob: 07740 084 452
Julian Baines, CEO Mob: 07788 420 859
Paul Foulger, CFO Mob: 07710 989 255
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited
Robert Naylor (Corporate Finance) Tel: 020 7886 2714
Michael Seabrook (Sales) Tel: 020 7886 2704
Walbrook PR Limited Tel: 020 7933 8780 or ekf@walbrookpr.com
Paul McManus Mob: 07980 541 893
Lianne Cawthorne Mob: 07584 391 303
About EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc - www.ekfdiagnostics.com
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc was formed in July 2010 following
the acquisition of EKF-diagnostic GmbH for EUR14.32m and refocused
its strategy to one of building a substantial point of care
diagnostics business. As part of this strategy, the Group has
integrated three further acquisitions, Quotient Diagnostics Limited
(acquired in September 2010), Argutus Medical Limited (acquired in
December 2010) and Stanbio Laboratory L.P. (acquired in June 2011).
In 2013 EKF established a new subsidiary, EKF Molecular Diagnostics
Ltd, to focus on molecular and companion diagnostics and acquired
360 Genomics Ltd, a business that owns diagnostics technologies for
cancer gene detection.
The Company, with its head office in Cardiff and operations in
London, Germany, Poland, Russia, Ireland and the US, is a leading
diagnostics business, focussing on the development, production and
distribution of chemical reagents and analysers for the testing of
Glucose, Lactate, Haemoglobin, Haematocrit and HbA1c.
In March 2011 EKF entered into a distribution agreement with
Alere Inc ("Alere"), a global diagnostics company, under which
Alere was appointed the exclusive distributor of EKF's CLIA waived
Hemo Control device and cuvettes in the US, Canada and United
Kingdom. The device is distributed in the US under the name
HemoPoint H2.
In March 2014, EKF acquired Separation Technology, Inc., a
Florida based manufacturer of in vitro diagnostics devices for the
haematology testing market. In April 2014, EKF completed the
acquisitions of Selah Genomics Inc., a US based developer of
molecular diagnostics for personalised medicine and DiaSpect
Medical AB., a Swedish based manufacturer of point-of-care
haemoglobin analysers.
About Selah Genomics - www.selahgenomics.com
Selah Genomics is a clinical diagnostic specialist supporting
healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical industry with advanced
molecular and genomic diagnostic services. Selah's services add
value to early stage drug development, clinical trials and
regulatory processes in the pharmaceutical industry and helps
clinicians and healthcare providers treat and monitor patients,
thereby improving patient outcomes. With the Power of Precision,
Selah Genomics provides the best in molecular diagnostic testing,
assay validation and genomic profiling that all leads to one common
goal: to provide better outcomes for patients.
About GHS's Institute for Translational Oncology Research
With a focus on translational research and personalized
medicine, ITOR of GHS provides some of the most advanced cancer
treatments available anywhere in the world while supporting
industry's crucial need to achieve greater efficiency and
expediency in bringing life-saving cancer drugs to patients. The
effort to advance these goals led to the creation of ITOR - an
evolutionary process that began in 2004.
About DecisionQ
DecisionQ Corporation is a predictive analytic company that uses
its proprietary machine-learning technology to create the
foundational insights that power many of today's data discovery
systems. Our predictive models are at work in many industries,
including healthcare, consumer products, finance, national
security, and marketing communications.
About BD
BD is a leading medical technology company that partners with
customers and stakeholders to address many of the world's most
pressing and evolving health needs. Our innovative solutions are
focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the diagnosis of
infectious diseases and cancers, supporting the management of
diabetes and advancing cellular research. We are more than 30,000
associates in 50 countries who strive to fulfil our purpose of
"Helping all people live healthy lives" by advancing the quality,
accessibility, safety and affordability of healthcare around the
world. For more information, please visit www.bd.com.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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