GeneNews (
TSX: GEN,
Stock Forum) became the first major US laboratory to sell and market diagnostic method developer sphingotec's innovative breast cancer tests when the company announced today that it had signed a licensing and cooperation deal with German-based firm that granted GeneNews out-licensing for two biomarker assays, sphingotest® pro-NT and sphingotest® pro-ENK.
According to the
news release, the biomarker assays will help doctors assess risk in females for breast cancer.
The company intends to add sphingotest pro-NT to its roster of cancer assays offered by its US joint venture, Innovative Diagnostic Laboratory (IDL) by early 2015 and is also considering the addition of sphingotest pro-ENK and other biomarker candidates to IDL's menu of cancer risk prediction agents.
Founder and managing director of sphingotec, Dr. Andreas Bergmann, commented on the deal, ““We are excited to sign this agreement with GeneNews, especially during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”
Then he explained, “Our partnership will allow sphingotec’s markers to be available to potentially millions of women in the U.S. It is our common goal to lower the incidence of breast cancer by providing tests that are reliable, cost-effective and accessible for patients at risk regardless of health coverage status.”
James R. Howard, GeneNews Executive Chairman, added, “sphingotest pro-NT is the third advanced cancer assay added to our offering menu beyond our ColonSentry blood test.”
Then he concluded, “We believe sphingotest pro-NT represents a major step forward in breast cancer detection and management, and we are looking forward to making it available to U.S. physicians nationwide through IDL as soon as possible.”