Immunovia and world-class teaching hospital finalize agreement for collection of pancreatic cancer blood samples for IMMray™ PanCan-d
LUND, SWEDEN― Immunovia AB (publ) (“Immunovia”) today announced that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, will participate in the validation of IMMray™ PanCan-d as part of the final steps to commercialization for the blood-based test for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. As previously communicated, (link to PR June 3, 2019) the final three steps towards commercialization remain the same and are as follows: 1) commercial test model; 2) verification; 3) and validation of the commercial biomarker signature. The Pancreas and Liver Institute at BIDMC will collect and share for validation 170 pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and control blood samples from patients who have had an alarming CT scan showing suspicions of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and as a result were referred to a GI specialist for diagnostic imaging.
Professor A. James Moser, MD, FACS, is the Director of the Pancreas and Liver Institute, Co-Director of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Program at BIDMC, and Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
The agreement between Immunovia and BIDMC adds fresh PDAC samples and controls to Immunovia’s collection criteria of up to 2000 fresh samples to satisfy the needs for the remaining steps in the commercialization of IMMray™ PanCan-d.
“We are very excited to announce this collaboration with BIDMC. This partnership represents a fantastic opportunity by proximity to our Boston office and laboratory, while continuing to validate the potential our IMMray™ PanCan-d technology as well,” stated Mats Grahn, Immunovia CEO.
“Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is critical. Patients who receive a diagnosis in the early stages have the best chances of achieving cure through current surgical procedures, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments,” adds Professor Moser. “We welcome this opportunity to support efforts that work toward our shared goal: the eradication of this dreadful disease.”
As previously communicated, the final steps to market for IMMray™ PanCan-d will have three readouts: 1) the commercial test model expected to be Year-End 2019; 2) the verification expected to be in Q2 2020; and 3) the final readout of the blinded validation of IMMray™ PanCan-d expected to be in Q3 2020, just prior to going to market. (link to PR June 3, 2019).
For more information, please contact:
Julie Silber
Investor Relations Director, Immunovia
Tel.: +46-79-3486277
Email: julie.silber@immunovia.com
This is information that Immunovia is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 15:00 (CET) on September 12, 2019.
About Immunovia
Immunovia AB was founded in 2007 by investigators from the Department of Immunotechnology at Lund University and CREATE Health, the Center for Translational Cancer Research in Lund, Sweden. Immunovia’s strategy is to decipher the wealth of information in blood and translate it into clinically useful tools to diagnose complex diseases such as cancer, earlier and more accurately than previously possible. Immunovia´s core technology platform, IMMray™, is based on antibody biomarker microarray analysis. The company is now performing clinical validation studies for the commercialization of IMMray™ PanCan-d that could be the first blood-based test for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. In the beginning of 2016, the company started a program focused on autoimmune diseases diagnosis, prognosis and therapy monitoring. (Source: www.immunovia.com)
Immunovia’s shares (IMMNOV) are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. For more information, please visit www.immunovia.com.
About Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most deadly and difficult to detect cancers, as the signs and symptoms are diffuse and similar to other diseases. There are more than 40,000 deaths and over 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the U.S. alone, and the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is currently 5-9%. It is predicted to overtake colorectal cancer to become the second leading cause of cancer death by 2020. However, because resection is more successful in stage I/II, early diagnosis can significantly improve pancreatic cancer patients’ 5-year survival rates from 5-9% to up to 49%.
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