Oxford Cancer Biomarkers licenses rights to China for three colorectal cancer tests

Oxford Cancer Biomarkers (OCB) said it will expand the use of three of its in vitro diagnostic tests for colorectal cancer into China through a partnership with My-BioMed Biotechnology (MBM). The value of the collaboration was not disclosed.

MBM, a China-focused precision medicine company launched last year, has gained rights to OCB's ColoTox, ColoProg, and ColoPredict tests, and will build a biomedical laboratory in Ningbo Meishan Free Trade Zone.

The three tests are among four biomarker diagnostics developed for colorectal cancer by OCB, a spinout of the University of Oxford linked to the school's Medical Sciences Division. The tests are designed to deliver personalized medicine and are part of a portfolio that the company said will be expanded over time with similar tests for other cancer indications.

"Our strategic partnership with MBM will allow patients across China to access OCB's suite of precision oncology diagnostic technologies," OCB CMO David Kerr CBE, D.Sc., M.D. FMedSci, said in a statement. "We are looking forward to working closely with MBM to tailor our offerings to the specific needs of the Chinese market and building a robust product pipeline of diagnostics specifically aimed at the Chinese population."

ColoTox is a test designed to identify colorectal cancer patients at high risk of severe drug side effects, helping clinicians select safer chemotherapy drug doses and reduce the likelihood of life-threatening toxicity. According to OBM, ColoTox also identifies a small subset of patients (1% of all patients) that should avoid 5-fluorouracil (5FU)-based chemotherapy altogether due to high risk of toxic death.

ColoPredict is designed to identify a subpopulation of healthy individuals at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. ColoPredict is performed on DNA collected from a simple mouth swab.

ColoProg is a test carried out after colorectal cancer surgery to identify patients that are at low, standard, or high risk of relapse. The test is intended to help surgeons and oncologists better target adjuvant chemotherapy to patients at highest risk of relapse and avoid chemotherapy in patients who have a high likelihood of cure by surgery alone.

"Through this partnership, MBM and OCB have solidified a long-term commitment to China, with the aim of developing and launching a suite of unique diagnostic products," added Zhu, CEO, My-Biomed Jackson.