Australian biotechnology company Minomic International Ltd has relocated its Australian scientific headquarters as it pursues near term commercialisation of its novel prostate cancer screening technology, the MiStat™ ELISA.
The Company, which is targeting CE Mark approval for the new screening technology later this year, has moved from its Frenchs Forest location to a site on the Macquarie University campus, which will facilitate vital collaboration with some of the country’s leading life science and clinical experts.
The Company is housed in the Australian School of Advanced Medicine within the Macquarie University Hospital, which is part of Macquarie University.
Minomic Chief Executive Officer Dr Brad Walsh said the move would provide optimal access to the key patient populations necessary to pursue final development of the Company’s important MiStat™ prostate cancer screening technology, which is a blood or urine test for Minomic’s proprietary biomarker found only on prostate cancer cells.
“Our Company has already conducted extensive trials of this technology and trials are already underway in the United States to further validate the test with initial results expected later this year.” he said.
“Relocating our scientific headquarters will enable us to work closely with internationally regarded researchers and urology experts.
“We will also be able to access further patient samples as required from the Macquarie University Hospital, to ensure an optimal product is taken to market in 2015.”
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Corporate Engagement and Advancement), Professor David Wilkinson, said Macquarie University was exceptionally pleased to welcome Minomic to the campus and was looking forward to deepening its engagement with the company.
“It’s exciting to think what a partnership like this might achieve in future, particularly given the significant impact that prostate cancer has in Australia and around the world,” he said. “Macquarie is honoured to have attracted a partner of the calibre of Minomic, and are keen to explore ways of working together for our mutual benefit, and for the benefit of the communities we serve.”
The Minomic relocation will also enable scientists from both organisations to more closely collaborate on developing next generation non-invasive cancer diagnostic tests using Macquarie’s new Super Dot™ nanocrystal technology.
Macquarie University experts led by Dr Dayong Jin and Professor Nicolle Packer will combine Minomic’s patented antibodies with this innovative platform, which uses super bright nano-crystals to potentially enable the detection of single abnormal cells in body fluids.
This technology is designed to help develop new cancer screening tests for a range of cancers, including prostate cancer.
Dr Walsh added: “This project marries Minomic’s existing technology on proprietary antibodies with Macquarie’s sophisticated diagnostic technology. This project will strengthen our company’s existing intellectual property portfolio and ultimately, we anticipate being able to deliver even better, highly sensitive prostate cancer screening technologies to the global market.”
All data to date suggests Minomic’s MiStat™ test - a blood or urine test for the proprietary biomarker found on prostate cancer cells - is almost twice as specific as the PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) diagnostic technology, which is the current gold standard globally. PSA has been controversial, largely due to the high number of false positive results delivered. Current PSA tests have a 40% specificity; MiStat™ has a demonstrated specificity of 76%.
There are currently 200 million PSA tests performed annually around the world.
About Minomic
Minomic International Ltd is an Australian owned biomarker discovery company specialising in in-vitro-diagnostics (IVD), diagnostic imaging and therapeutics for prostate cancer. Minomic has developed an in vitro diagnostic test called MiStatTM for the early detection of prostate cancer. The key reagents, including the MIL-38 antibody and antigen and related applications are protected by international patents.
Following a successful proof-of-concept clinical study on 125 Australian patients demonstrating good sensitivity and specificity for discriminating prostate cancer patients from those with benign prostatic hyperplasia or no disease the test is about to enter a multi-centre clinical validation in mid-2014.
Minomic is interested in partnerships or collaborations with larger pharmaceutical/diagnostic global partners able to produce, register and distribute the MiStat™ ELISA test and collaborate through clinical validation, registration and commercialisation of future diagnostic imaging and therapeutic applications of the MIL-38 antibody for prostate cancer.
The Company, which is targeting CE Mark approval for the new screening technology later this year, has moved from its Frenchs Forest location to a site on the Macquarie University campus, which will facilitate vital collaboration with some of the country’s leading life science and clinical experts.
The Company is housed in the Australian School of Advanced Medicine within the Macquarie University Hospital, which is part of Macquarie University.
Minomic Chief Executive Officer Dr Brad Walsh said the move would provide optimal access to the key patient populations necessary to pursue final development of the Company’s important MiStat™ prostate cancer screening technology, which is a blood or urine test for Minomic’s proprietary biomarker found only on prostate cancer cells.
“Our Company has already conducted extensive trials of this technology and trials are already underway in the United States to further validate the test with initial results expected later this year.” he said.
“Relocating our scientific headquarters will enable us to work closely with internationally regarded researchers and urology experts.
“We will also be able to access further patient samples as required from the Macquarie University Hospital, to ensure an optimal product is taken to market in 2015.”
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Corporate Engagement and Advancement), Professor David Wilkinson, said Macquarie University was exceptionally pleased to welcome Minomic to the campus and was looking forward to deepening its engagement with the company.
“It’s exciting to think what a partnership like this might achieve in future, particularly given the significant impact that prostate cancer has in Australia and around the world,” he said. “Macquarie is honoured to have attracted a partner of the calibre of Minomic, and are keen to explore ways of working together for our mutual benefit, and for the benefit of the communities we serve.”
The Minomic relocation will also enable scientists from both organisations to more closely collaborate on developing next generation non-invasive cancer diagnostic tests using Macquarie’s new Super Dot™ nanocrystal technology.
Macquarie University experts led by Dr Dayong Jin and Professor Nicolle Packer will combine Minomic’s patented antibodies with this innovative platform, which uses super bright nano-crystals to potentially enable the detection of single abnormal cells in body fluids.
This technology is designed to help develop new cancer screening tests for a range of cancers, including prostate cancer.
Dr Walsh added: “This project marries Minomic’s existing technology on proprietary antibodies with Macquarie’s sophisticated diagnostic technology. This project will strengthen our company’s existing intellectual property portfolio and ultimately, we anticipate being able to deliver even better, highly sensitive prostate cancer screening technologies to the global market.”
All data to date suggests Minomic’s MiStat™ test - a blood or urine test for the proprietary biomarker found on prostate cancer cells - is almost twice as specific as the PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) diagnostic technology, which is the current gold standard globally. PSA has been controversial, largely due to the high number of false positive results delivered. Current PSA tests have a 40% specificity; MiStat™ has a demonstrated specificity of 76%.
There are currently 200 million PSA tests performed annually around the world.
About Minomic
Minomic International Ltd is an Australian owned biomarker discovery company specialising in in-vitro-diagnostics (IVD), diagnostic imaging and therapeutics for prostate cancer. Minomic has developed an in vitro diagnostic test called MiStatTM for the early detection of prostate cancer. The key reagents, including the MIL-38 antibody and antigen and related applications are protected by international patents.
Following a successful proof-of-concept clinical study on 125 Australian patients demonstrating good sensitivity and specificity for discriminating prostate cancer patients from those with benign prostatic hyperplasia or no disease the test is about to enter a multi-centre clinical validation in mid-2014.
Minomic is interested in partnerships or collaborations with larger pharmaceutical/diagnostic global partners able to produce, register and distribute the MiStat™ ELISA test and collaborate through clinical validation, registration and commercialisation of future diagnostic imaging and therapeutic applications of the MIL-38 antibody for prostate cancer.
