HPV Test Starts Clinical Vali

RNS Number : 3726P

ValiRx PLC

15 July 2010

 



15 July 2010

ValiRx Plc

("ValiRx" or "the Company")

VALIRX ANNOUNCES THE START OF CLINICAL VALIDATION FOR ITS HPV TEST TO IDENTIFY THE ONSET OF CERVICAL CANCER IN WOMEN

ValiRx Plc (AIM: VAL), a life science company with a focus on cancer diagnostics and therapeutics for personalised medicine, is pleased to announce that its human papilloma virus ("HPV") smear test to detect the onset of cervical cancer in women has now begun clinical sample validation. 

To date, this molecular diagnostic test has been developed and analytically validated or proven to work in the laboratory.  A clinical study has now started to validate its diagnostic capability and reproducibility of results in women.  Thereafter  the process will start for regulatory approval and marketing.  There are about 20,000 new HPV cases a year within the EU and ValiRx is developing a user-friendly HPV test for screening HPV infection.   The ValiRx test has been developed to give a clear positive or negative result as to the presence of high risk HPV subtypes which are likely to cause cervical cancer and it is testing the high risk subtypes that is the major issue for predicting the risk of cervical cancer. 

The virus has been shown to be present in more than 99% of cervical cancers and has been shown to be the primary cause of this condition.

In contrast to the conventional Pap smear testing, the HPV test is inexpensive, and its results are both speedy and give an easy to read indication of how developed the cervical cancer might be.   Pre-clinical studies indicate that the combination of the HPV test with the Pap smear test provides close to 100 per cent accuracy of diagnosis.

Dr Satu Vainikka, CEO commented:

"I am delighted and very excited that we are now commencing the next validation step of the HPV test.  It is a test which I and others believe has the potential to become a first line test for cervical cancer.  Tremendous inherent value lies behind patient testing in the fight against this deadly cancer and the market has been for a long time in need of a cost-effective, objective test that delivers speedy results."

"Looking from a wider perspective, the clinical validation of the HPV test and its roll out would also offer, not only on the human side, great savings in terms of lives, but also very significant savings across the Health Service in general".

For more information, please contact:

Enquiries:

ValiRx plc
Dr. Satu Vainikka	Tel: [phone]
	www.ValiRx.com
WH Ireland Limited - Nominated Adviser
Robin Gwyn	Tel: [phone]
Hybridan LLP - Broker
Claire Noyce	Tel: [phone]
Peckwater PR
Tarquin Edwards	Tel: [phone]
	[e-mail]

Notes for Editors

ValiRx Plc

ValiRx Plc is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel technologies and products in oncology therapeutics and diagnostics. The product focus is in the epigenomic analysis and treatment of cancer, but the technologies can be applied to other fields as well, such as neurology and inflammatory diseases.

The Company listed on AIM in October 2006 and is creating a portfolio of innovative products through investment in specific development projects.  It actively manages projects within this portfolio as a trading company and is not an investment vehicle.  The ValiRx business model spreads the risks of life science technology developments by minimising financial exposure and running a set of projects to defined commercial endpoints.  This maximises returns to shareholders by adding value at the earlier stages where value increases per investment unit are the greatest. 

The Company operates through the following divisional companies:

·      ValiMedix is the sales and distribution division of ValiRx

·      ValiBio is the diagnostic research and development division of ValiRx

·      ValiPharma is the therapeutics division with two embedded technologies primarily directed at the treatment of cancers. Of particular note is GeneICE, ValiRx's technology for controlling rebellious genes, which was awarded a Eurostars grant to the value of €1.2 million to fund the development of the GeneICE products through preclinical stages in cancer treatments

 

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