Fremont, California [February 4, 2015] – Arbor Vita Corporation, a privately held company, is presenting its groundbreaking OncoE6TM Cervical Test, a new point-of-care proteomic-based diagnostic, to participants at the EUropean Research Organisation on Genital Infection and Neoplasia (EUROGIN) held on February 4-7, 2015 in Sevilla, Spain.
Cervical cancer remains one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths 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 expresses 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.
Pap smears, which detect cell changes, are the mainstay of cervical cancer screening but have high false negative rates; some women with cervical cancer will be missed. More modern technologies, such as DNA/RNA based HPV tests, have high false positive tests. This leads to the identification of a broad population of women of whom only a small subset are actually at risk for cancer, thereby subjecting many women to unnecessary, potentially fertility-compromising procedures.
By contrast, the OncoE6TM Cervical Test, with its dipstick-like format, is a powerful proteomics-based test that is simple, 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 may predict future risk of disease, while a negative OncoE6™ Cervical Test result may predict a high likelihood of future regression.
The OncoE6TM Cervical Test is highly specific, providing additional data when other tests may falter. For example, given the false negatives associated with either a Pap smear and/or colposcopy, a positive OncoE6TM Cervical Test alerts providers that the patient may still have a pre-cancerous or cancerous lesion. Arbor Vita expects that the OncoE6TM Cervical Test will be a valuable addition to an existing portfolio of cervical cancer management tools. “It’s a simple, easy-to-use test with high specificity that provides clear answers to doctors and patients,” says Dr. Peter Lu, Arbor Vita’s CEO. “These characteristics make it useful across many settings, from low-resource and emerging countries to those with highly developed healthcare systems.”
The OncoE6TM Cervical Test, which carries the European Union CE Marking of quality, is now available in many parts of the world. The OncoE6TM Oral Test is available for research purposes. For more information, please contact: info@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.