HealthLinx gets backing for cancer test ELI GREENBLAT June 15, 2010 - 11:22AM
The Victorian government is backing a multi-million dollar trial into a new test for the early detection of ovarian cancer, called OvPlex, which has been developed in Melbourne by biotechnology company HealthLinx.
The Minister for Innovation Gavin Jennings launched a major international second study into the OvPlex ovarian cancer diagnostic test this morning and he said the trials could potentially change the lives of many women in Victoria and around the world.
Melbourne's Mercy Hospital for Women will join the Mater Adult Hospital in Queensland and several sites in the UK to trial the second-generation technology, which works by identifying up to seven biomarkers present in a woman's blood sample.
The Victorian government will contribute a total of $750,000 to assist in the ongoing development of OvPlex. The current OvPlex test is available to women through their GPs and distributed via Healthscope Pathology. It examines five biomarkers found in a woman's blood.
The test builds on existing technology and will test two new biomarkers as part of the panel.
The current performance of the test for early stages of the disease is 92 per cent sensitivity and 94 per cent specificity. For all disease stages the performance of the test is 94 per cent sensitivity and 94 per cent specificity.
HealthLinx managing director Nick Gatsios said the new study would focus on the impact the two additional biomarkers may have on the current OvPlex technology.
This second generation test has the potential to save even more lives. We expect the new generation test will improve the performance of the current test from 94 per cent for all stages to 97 per cent or better."
Shares in HealthLinx were up 1.5 cents at 12 cents this morning.
