PEB
05/03/2015 10:23
GENERAL
NOT PRICE SENSITIVE
REL: 1023 HRS Pacific Edge Limited
GENERAL: PEB: Pacific Edge adds India to its growing list of patents
5 March 2015
Pacific Edge adds India to its growing list of patents
Pacific Edge has been granted patent protection in India for its Cxbladder
technology. This comes several weeks after being granted patents for 38
countries in Europe for the same technology that enables the accurate and
non-invasive detection of urothelial carcinomas.
Pacific Edge Chief Executive Officer David Darling says India is the second
largest country in terms of population. Its incidence rates of bladder cancer
are reportedly also very high - not helped by the high levels of tobacco that
continues to be consumed, which does increase the likelihood of bladder
cancer.
David Darling says: "While it is important for the Company to seek patent
protection in key jurisdictions, our main focus continues to be building
sales momentum in the US, the world's largest healthcare market, where we
have just now started into our second year of commercial operations.
Laboratory through-put is tracking to the company's expectations following an
active direct sales and marketing program to clinicians and healthcare
organisations. Pacific Edge Diagnostics USA has twelve dedicated sales
executives operating in key geographic regions."
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 in the US this year after its
successful launch in New Zealand. Cxbladder Triage allows clinicians to
segregate patients who have presented to their healthcare provider 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 provides 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 a full clinical work-up for
bladder cancer that is both expensive and invasive.
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 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 Detect is commercially available in
New Zealand, Australia and the USA. Cxbladder Detect is available in the USA
and NZ as a laboroatory Developed Test (LDT) from the company's CLIA
certified laboratories, providing 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 novel molecular test that combines the power of the
genomic biomarkers with extra phenotypic and clinical risk biomarkers to
accurately identify and remove patients with haematuria who have a low
probability of bladde cancer, from needing to have a full-urological work-up.
This is a tool for use by clinicians and physicians in the primary
evaluation and will result in a reduction of the number of patients needing
an expensive and invasive work-up for urothelial cancer.
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. Timely detection and regular
surveillance and monitoring of this cancer is a key element of the clinical
process and of the individual's annual healthcare plan.
End CA:00261494 For:PEB Type:GENERAL Time:2015-03-05 10:23:35