Mr. James Howard-Tripp reports
STAGEZERO LIFE SCIENCES ARISTOTLE(R) MULTI-CANCER BLOOD TEST NOW AVAILABLE IN GREATER TORONTO AREA
People throughout the Greater Toronto Area can now access Stagezero Life Sciences Ltd.'s multicancer blood test, Aristotle. Built on Stagezero's proprietary mRNA technology, Aristotle is a next-generation test which simultaneously screens for multiple cancers from a single sample of blood.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. In 2021, an estimated 229,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer. Treatment is most likely to be effective when cancer is diagnosed at an early stage; however, some of the most common cancers are not diagnosed until symptoms arise and the tumour has progressed to an advanced stage. For example, currently about 50 per cent of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at stage III or IV.
"Far too often, cancer is diagnosed and treated at a late stage, which can dramatically decrease survival rates and affect patients' quality of life," said James Howard-Tripp, chairman and chief executive officer of Stagezero Life Sciences. "This is more of an issue now, with the COVID-19 pandemic having significantly reduced patient/physician interactions. We are seeing a wave of late-stage diagnoses," he continued. "Use of a blood test that looks for the most common forms of treatable cancers can help reduce the risk of developing advanced-stage cancer through early detection. We believe that providing an opportunity to find cancer early will facilitate more favourable outcomes."
Aristotle must be prescribed by a physician and is available through AVRT, the company's comprehensive telehealth program which uses advanced diagnostics and physician supervision to help patients detect cancer in the earliest stages. Through AVRT, patients who have a molecular signature for cancer detected via Aristotle are paired with a dedicated case manager, oncologist and/or other health care professionals to guide them on next steps.
Collaborations with clinics in the Greater Toronto Area will facilitate specimen collection and are part of Stagezero's physical hub-and-spoke model which is being deployed as part of the company's long-term global growth strategy.
Aristotle is the first-ever mRNA multicancer panel for simultaneously screening for multiple cancers from a single sample of blood with high sensitivity and specificity for each cancer. The Aristotle test works by interrogating mRNA from a sample of whole blood and detecting gene expression profiles indicative of specific cancers. Aristotle screens for the molecular signatures associated with multiple, individual cancers, including breast, ovarian, endometrial, colorectal, liver, stomach, prostate and others.
About Stagezero Life Sciences Ltd.
Stagezero Life Sciences is a vertically integrated health care company dedicated to improving the early detection and management of cancer and other chronic diseases through next-generation diagnostics and a unique telehealth program that provides clinical interventions to help patients reduce the risk of developing late-stage disease (AVRT).
The company's next-generation test, Aristotle, is the first ever mRNA multicancer panel for simultaneously screening for multiple cancers from a single sample of blood with high sensitivity and specificity for each cancer. Aristotle uses mRNA technology to identify the molecular signatures of multiple cancer types and is built on the company's patented technology platform, the Sentinel Principle. This underlying technology has been validated in more than 9,000 patients and used by more than 100,000 patients in North America.
Aristotle, as well as additional cancer diagnostics (ColonSentry, BreastSentry and the Prostate Health Index) are processed at the company's clinical laboratory, Stagezero Life Sciences Inc., a CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified high-complexity reference laboratory in Richmond, Va. In addition, the company is also leveraging its specialty in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to provide COVID-19 PCR testing (swab and saliva) and antibody testing (blood analysis).
Stagezero Life Sciences trades on the Toronto Stock exchange under the symbol SZLS and on the OTCQB under the symbol SZLSF.