ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp. (TSX-V:ZOM), a veterinary pharmaceutical and health care
solutions company, today announced it has entered into a research collaboration agreement with Celsee Diagnostics, Inc., an
innovator of human health products in the emerging field of liquid biopsy. The research project defined in the agreement aims to
test the feasibility of Celsee’s liquid biopsy technology for veterinary application as a canine cancer diagnostics.
A liquid biopsy is a blood test with the potential to detect the presence of circulating tumor cells in the blood.
Circulating tumor cells, commonly referred to as CTCs, are cells that have shed from a primary tumor into neighboring blood vessels
and are transported throughout the body’s circulatory system. The detection of CTCs in the blood could indicate a cancer diagnosis
without the need for an invasive tissue biopsy.
Concurrent to this research project, Zomedica filed a provisional application for patent with the United States
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in support of its research and development efforts specific to canine cancer diagnostics. The
provisional patent is based on Zomedica’s identification of novel canine biomarkers for diagnosing canine cancers.
“Canine cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed diseases in the veterinary clinic,” stated Zomedica’s Chief
Medical Officer William MacArthur, MS, DVM. “It is difficult, expensive and often times impractical for veterinarians to diagnose
some cancers in a non-invasive manner. As such, veterinarians are frequently required to make treatment recommendations to pet
owners based on incomplete patient information.”
This translational opportunity aligns with Zomedica’s veterinary-focused mission to provide needs-driven solutions
to the real-world problems of veterinary practice. Zomedica anticipates translational opportunities such as this to be an important
component of its diversified product strategy.
About Zomedica
With U.S. operations based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Zomedica is a veterinary pharmaceutical and health care solutions company
targeting products for companion animals (canine, feline and equine) through a ground-breaking approach that focuses on the unmet
needs of clinical veterinarians. Zomedica is building a diversified portfolio of products comprised of the discovery, development
and commercialization of innovative drugs alongside novel drug delivery systems, devices and diagnostics. With multiple clinical
veterinarians in executive management, it is Zomedica’s mission to give veterinarians the opportunity to lower costs, increase
productivity, and grow revenue while better serving the animals in their care. For more information, visit www.ZOMEDICA.com.
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About Celsee Diagnostics
Celsee Diagnostics, a privately-held Michigan-based company, develops automated systems for rare CTC enrichment and single-cell
analysis. The company’s precise, accurate, and reliable platform for research and clinical diagnostics development will allow
healthcare professionals more time to focus on their patients’ therapeutic treatment and outcomes. The label-free Celsee PREP
platforms perform all the required processing steps to isolate and execute downstream single-cell analysis including
immunochemistry, DNA FISH and mRNA FISH, while the Celsee ANALYZER scans and analyzes the prepared slide automatically. Celsee’s
SingleCell products provide access, efficiency and simplicity, the most desirable attributes related to products for use in
single-cell isolation, analysis and retrieval.
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Investor Relations Contact Shameze Rampertab, CPA, CA srampertab@zomedica.com +1 647.283.3630 Barry Mire, Renmark Financial Communications Inc. bmire@renmarkfinancial.com +1 416.644.2020 or +1 514.939.3989 Media Contact Andrea Eberle aeberle@zomedica.com +1 734.369.2555