Ann: GENERAL: PEB: European Patent Office grants PE patent for...

• Release Date: 24/02/15 12:56
• Summary: GENERAL: PEB: European Patent Office grants PE patent for Cxbladder
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					PEB
24/02/2015 12:56
GENERAL
PRICE SENSITIVE
REL: 1256 HRS Pacific Edge Limited

GENERAL: PEB: European Patent Office grants PE patent for Cxbladder

24 February 2015

European Patent Office grants Pacific Edge patent for Cxbladder

The European Patent Office representing 38 countries in Europe has granted
Pacific Edge patent protection for its Cxbladder technology that enables the
accurate and non-invasive detection of urothelial carcinomas.

Welcoming this outcome, Pacific Edge Chief Executive Officer David Darling
says Europe is a market for the Cxbladder technology that is already steadily
gaining commercial traction in the USA as well as New Zealand and Australia.
 Within Europe, Belgium, Malta, Denmark and Spain have the highest incidences
of bladder cancer.

"Europe suffers the highest incidence of bladder cancer in men and women
followed by North America. There are approximately 151,0001 new cases
(incidence) detected every year within the geographical jurisdiction of the
European Patent Office is approximately 2 times that of the US, which has an
incidence of bladder cancer of 74,690 ." The European Patent Office is the
patent agency for all countries in the European Union plus Switzerland,
Liechtenstein, Turkey, Monaco, Iceland, Norway, the Republic of Macedonia,
San Marino, Albania and Serbia.

"Our immediate focus is on building the momentum of sales in the US, the
world's largest healthcare market, where the Company has just now started
into its second year of commercial operations. Sales are tracking
expectations following acceptance of Cxbladder as an adjunct technology by
four national provider networks and an active marketing program to clinicians
and healthcare organisations. Consideration can now be given to growing our
commercial footprint for Cxbladder in European countries."

Meanwhile Pacific Edge has been rapidly extending its portfolio of
intellectual property based on its molecular diagnostic technology with the
recent grant of patents in the US for the prognosis of melanoma, in Japan for
the prognosis of colorectal cancer and in China for the detection of gastric
cancer.

"Extending and further developing our intellectual capital is essential for
the long term commercial success of the Company and the creation of
additional value for shareholders," David Darling says.

Further developments of the Cxbladder technology are underway with the next
product, Cxbladder Triage due to be released later this year. Cxbladder
Triage will allow clinicians to segregate patients who have presented to
their GP or urologist with haematuria (blood in the urine, an early indicator
of possible bladder cancer) who have a low probability of having urothelial
carcinoma. The use of this new product - Cxbladder Triage will provide upside
and cost saving for the patient, the clinician and the healthcare system to
exclude a significant proportion of these patients from having to have an
expensive and invasive clinical work-up for bladder cancer.

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. The
company is developing and commercialising its range of Cxbladder bladder
cancer tests. It's first commercial product, Cxbladder Detect, is now being
actively marketed to physicians and clinicians in New Zealand, Australia, and
the USA through the company's wholly owned subsidiaries and selected
commercial partners.

www.pacificedge.co.nz www.pacificedgedx.com

ABOUT Cxbladder Detect

Cxbladder Detect is a non-invasive, simple-to-use bladder cancer detection
test that measures unique molecular signatures to identify the presence of
bladder and other urinary tract cancers from a small volume of urine.
Cxbladder Detect is commercially available 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 Detect cancer detection
test has been validated by a multicentre, international clinical study.

www.cxbladder.com

ABOUT Cxbladder Triage

Cxbladder Triage is a laboratory test for the early stages of bladder cancer
detection, designed to rule out the presence of bladder cancer confidently
and easily. This non-invasive urine test combines known bladder cancer risk
factors with state of the art molecular diagnostics. Cxbladder Triage uses
genetic and clinical information to calculate a segregation index that can
accurately rule out bladder cancer - an innovative approach to urological
diagnostics which is the first test of its kind in this market.

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.

Bladder cancer has a very high recurrence rate of approximately 50%-70% with
up to 30% of these recurring as later stage tumours. However, bladder cancers
are highly treatable, especially if detected in the early stages when 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:00261056 For:PEB    Type:GENERAL    Time:2015-02-24 12:56:58