EDX Medical Group plc (AQSE: EDX), which develops innovative digital diagnostic products and services supporting personalised treatments for cancer, heart disease and infectious diseases, has announced a further important development in its cancer testing capability in collaboration with The University of Oxford.
EDX Medical has entered into an exclusive agreement with Oxford University Innovation Ltd (OUI), the company which manages Oxford University’s patent portfolio, to in-license new intellectual property developed by researchers at Oxford and Birmingham Universities through research funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK).
This will enable EDX Medical to develop a much-improved test to determine safety and dose management for individual patients receiving 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), capecitabine and related chemotherapy medications. These drugs are widely used in the first-line treatment of colorectal cancer, breast cancer and cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract but carry serious adverse side effects for certain individuals.
The new test from EDX Medical will incorporate the detection of a number of proprietary genes associated with severe adverse reactions in addition to the four dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD) genetic variants currently tested. The enlarged gene panel will provide a more accurate and complete prediction of dose-related clinical risks. The new test will be available exclusively from EDX Medical.
The Board of EDX Medical believes the new test has the potential to benefit millions of patients worldwide. More than 10 million people globally receive some form of chemotherapy annually and in England alone, 38,000 patients receive fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy each year.
EDX Medical will develop the 5FU/capecitabine safety and treatment management test under its own brand through its ongoing collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific, EMEA Ltd. (“Thermo Fisher”), a world leading supplier of life sciences solutions and services.
Professor Sir Chris Evans, OBE, founder of EDX Medical Group plc, commented: “We are delighted to announce this very significant development in our cancer testing capability which will soon be available alongside a range of class-leading diagnostic products which are of tremendous benefit to those treating cancer and their patients.
“Oxford, Birmingham and CRUK have done a brilliant job in discovering new biomarkers which will enable us to improve the safe use of one of the world’s most widely used yet potentially dangerous cancer medicines. We are proud to be in a position to translate their knowledge into a clinical diagnostic test that will prevent patients suffering debilitating drug reactions and at the same time will also help hospitals avoid the additional costs of care for patients who have suffered side effects.”
Dr Mike Hudson, CEO, EDX Medical Group plc, said: “We are continuing to broaden our range of cancer testing solutions wherever we see a need to provide doctors with timely information on individual patient’s biology which can translate to improved treatment and outcomes. By including several new gene targets, the new product is expected to set a new standard in this important area of pharmacogenomic drug safety, enabling a more complete and accurate prediction of dose-related side effects and clinical risks for patients of various ethnicities receiving 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and capecitabine.”
