Fremont, California [September 3, 2014] — Arbor Vita Corporation, a privately held company, announced today that AB ANALITICA will distribute the OncoE6TM Cervical Test in Italy. OncoE6TM Cervical Test is a new point-of-care proteomics diagnostic that supplements current cervical cancer screening technologies.
Cervical cancer remains one of the major causes of cancer-related death in women. All such cancers originate from Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. However, the presence of HPV is not sufficient for disease; most women clear the virus without treatment. In those who do not, the virus eventually express elevated levels of E6 oncoprotein in cervical epithelial cells. It is this biomarker, directly responsible for the cancer-causing effects of HPV, that OncoE6TM Cervical Test detects.
Current cervical cancer screening technologies, such as Pap smears and HPV (DNA) tests, detect cell changes and/or the presence of HPV, thus identifying a broad population of women of whom only a small subset are actually at risk for cancer. These technologies are not only expensive and time-consuming, the results may subject women to unnecessary procedures that can compromise fertility.
By contrast, the OncoE6TM Cervical Test, with its dipstick-like format, is a powerful proteomics-based test that is simple, non-invasive, easy, and quick to use. No refrigeration is required, and it can be conducted with only minimal training. Results are available in a few hours. A positive OncoE6™ Cervical Test result not only identifies high grade cervical disease, it predicts future risk of disease, while a negative OncoE6™ Cervical Test result may predict future regression. This allows for effective utilization of scarce resources, identifying those women in need of treatment follow-up as opposed to those who simply have a transient – and thus clinically irrelevant – HPV infection.
In collaboration with PATH, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and National Cancer Institute recently published results from its international clinical study, START-UP, demonstrating that the OncoE6TM Cervical Test is significantly more specific and has a much higher positive predictive value in detecting cervical neoplasia than current technologies. “Based on the large clinical data set, we have determined that Arbor Vita’s OncoE6TM Cervical Test allows early detection of transforming/pre-cancerous HPV infections,” says Dr. Dino Paladin, AB ANALITICA’s Founder. “The use of the test can minimize treatment burden and represents a valuable potential addition to health management.”
Arbor Vita expects that the OncoE6TM Cervical Test will be a valuable addition to an existing portfolio of cervical cancer management tools. “The OncoE6TM Cervical Test is an easy-to-use, simple test that provides clear answers to doctors and patients,” says Dr. Peter Lu, Arbor Vita’s CEO. “We are proud that it has demonstrated outstanding clinical performance with high specificity and high positive predictive value. We are excited to offer the test to the Italian medical community.”
The OncoE6TM Cervical Test, which carries the European Union CE Marking of quality, is now available in many parts of the world. To order, please contact: sales@arborvita.com
About Arbor Vita Corporation
Founded in 1998, Arbor Vita Corporation is a privately held biotechnology company located in Fremont, California, focusing on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel proteomic-based diagnostics and therapeutics. The company’s proprietary PDZ protein technology continues to produce groundbreaking solutions to complex health challenges, including infectious diseases and cancer.
About AB ANALITICA
Founded in 1990, AB ANALITICA is a privately held biotech company located in Padua, Italy, focusing on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of diagnostics. The company has over 20 years of experience in the HPV testing field with a specialized sales force covering all of Italy. The company sells in over 40 countries in the world.