PEB
09/07/2014 10:45
GENERAL
REL: 1045 HRS Pacific Edge Limited
GENERAL: PEB: NZ e-commerce site for bladder cancer testing service
9 July 2014
Pacific Edge to launch New Zealand e-commerce site for bladder cancer testing
service
Cancer diagnostic developer and service provider Pacific Edge is set to
launch an e-commerce platform later this month to make its Cxbladder
technology available to all New Zealanders from the convenience of their
home.
The e-commerce platform on the company's website, http://www.cxbladder.com,
provides New Zealand residents with the ability to order a urine testing
service on-line with samples analysed by Pacific Edge Diagnostics at its
Dunedin laboratory. A detailed test report will be sent directly to the
purchaser's general practitioner or nominated healthcare professional. The
e-commerce site has been reviewed and approved by Medsafe, the New Zealand
Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, and TAPS, Therapeutic
Advertising Pre-vetting System of the Advertising Standards Authority.
Pacific Edge Diagnostics' Commercial Director Brent Pownall says the service
will allow those people with haematuria (blood in the urine, one of the early
indicators of possible bladder cancer) a readily accessible and easy to use
service that will provide actionable results to them and their clinicians.
This translates to a higher level of confidence in the results, giving the
patient greater peace of mind.
"Multi-centre clinical trials conducted in New Zealand, Australia and
published in the Journal of Urology in September 2012 have demonstrated that
Pacific Edge's non-invasive diagnostic Cxbladder system out-performs all
benchmark technologies by detecting nearly all of the tumours of concern to
urologists."
Purchasers of the urine testing service in New Zealand will be sent the
proprietary Urine Sampling System (USS) developed by Pacific Edge, to be used
for collecting a urine sample for the Cxbladder test. The easy to use USS
allows purchasers the convenience of collecting a sample in their own home,
without the need to visit their doctor or specialist.
"There are many New Zealanders who are aware that there is a technology
available that can complement or provide an alternative to the standard
invasive tests, but are not sure how to access the Cxbladder service other
than through their doctor. This e-commerce site will enable patients to take
advantage of Cxbladder to maintain a regime of evaluation that suits their
individual needs. The physician and clinician gain the additional information
on a timely and regular basis to supplement their clinical regime."
"Our goal is to make this new technology as readily accessible as buying an
ice-cream from the corner dairy. This will ensure that the disease can be
found early and that clinicians will get to know very early on which patients
are high priority."
"The launch of the e-commerce platform in New Zealand will be a further
addition to Pacific Edge's drive to build commercial revenues from Cxbladder.
Providing patients with direct access to chose Cxbladder is a key part of our
commercial strategy, to drive demand for the product in the New Zealand
market from both the patient and the clinician."
Health statistics in New Zealand show that approximately 600 people a year
are diagnosed with bladder cancer and there are around 170 deaths a year
attributed to the symptoms, but many times more are referred for urological
workups following a diagnosis of haematuria. On average less than one in ten
of those suffering from some form of haematuria are likely to be diagnosed
with bladder cancer.
Pacific Edge continues its focus on driving revenue for its urology based
technology Cxbladder in the world's largest health market, the USA and
achieving the company's target of having sales revenue there of $100 million
a year after five years of trading. Four National Provider Networks (NPN) in
the USA have already approved Cxbladder for inclusion in their networks.
Pacific Edge is committed to boosting its sales and marketing team in the USA
this year and building relationships with Large Urology Groups, Integrated
Healthcare Providers and additional provider networks.
For more information contact:
David Darling
Chief Executive Officer
Pacific Edge Ltd
P: +64 (3) 479 5800
ABOUT PACIFIC EDGE
Pacific Edge Limited (NZX: PEB) is a New Zealand based cancer diagnostic
company specialising in the discovery and commercialisation of diagnostic and
prognostic technology for the early detection and monitoring of cancer.
Products in development and in clinical trials are accurate and simple to use
genomic and proteomic tools for the earlier detection, improved
characterisation and better management of gastric, bladder, colorectal
cancers and melanoma. The company has completed and released its first
product for the detection of bladder cancer, Cxbladder, and is actively
marketing the product to physicians and clinicians in New Zealand, Australia
and the USA and soon in Spain.
www.pacificedge.co.nz
ABOUT PACIFIC EDGE DIAGNOSTICS
Pacific Edge takes its exciting cancer detection tests to market through its
wholly owned subsidiaries, Pacific Edge Diagnostics NZ Ltd and Pacific Edge
Diagnostics USA Ltd, and selected commercial partners in Australia and Spain,
Healthscope and Oryzon respectively.
www.pacificedgedx.com
ABOUT Cxbladder
Cxbladder is a proprietary, accurate molecular diagnostic test that enables
the non-invasive detection of bladder and other urinary tract cancers from a
small volume of urine. Cxbladder is commercialised in the USA as a Laboratory
Developed Test (LDT). It provides physicians and clinicians with a quick,
cost effective and accurate measure of the presence of the cancer, and
provides urologists with the opportunity to reduce their reliance on the need
for invasive tests such as cystoscopy. The Cxbladder cancer detection test
has been validated by a multicentre, international clinical study. Results
published in the Journal of Urology (Sept 2012) show that Cxbladder
out-performed all of the benchmark technologies in the clinical trial and
detected nearly all of the tumours of concern to a urologist; At a
performance of 82% sensitivity and 85% specificity the test sees 100% of T1,
100% of T2, 100% of T3, 100% of Tis and 100% of upper urinary tract cancers
as well as greater than 95% of high grade tumours.
www.cxbladder.com
ABOUT BLADDER CANCER
Globally, bladder cancer has the 9th highest incidence and the 4th highest
incidence for men. One of the early symptoms of bladder cancer is the
presence of blood in the urine, haematuria. People with haematuria often
present to their general practitioner before being referred on to a
urologist.
There are a number of 'at risk' occupations that have shown a much higher
incidence of bladder cancer. Fire fighters and fire control officers have
shown in a US study to have a twice the incidence of bladder cancer over non
fire fighters. Smoking is a significant contributing factor (over 50% in
males and 33% in females, and approximately one of every two new incidences
of bladder cancer is linked to smoking). Exposure to certain industrial
chemicals or carcinogens increases risks for some occupations e.g.
hairdressers, painters, printers, fire fighters and metal workers and
chemical engineers. Incidence increases with age so the older you are, the
greater the potential for bladder cancer.
Bladder cancer has a very high recurrence rate of approximately 50%-70% with
up to 30% of these recurring as later stage tumours. This is a higher
recurrence than for skin cancer! However, bladder cancers are highly
treatable, especially if detected in the early stages. If diagnosed early
there is a much higher probability of survival for early stage tumours
relative to later stage tumours. This makes timely and regular surveillance
and monitoring of this cancer a key element of the clinical process and of
the individual's annual healthcare plan.
End CA:00252577 For:PEB Type:GENERAL Time:2014-07-09 10:45:25
