- INOVIQ (IIQ) successfully completes its study using its engineered protein, SubB2M, to detect malignant melanoma
- Data from 144 tissue samples in the feasibility study shows that SubB2M immunohistochemistry (IHC) detected melanoma with 91 per cent sensitivity and discriminated between malignant melanoma and benign skin lesions
- INOVIQ says the SubB2M- based IHC applications represent a new opportunity for its product in the $1.9 billion IHC market
- The company is now looking for partners to further develop and commercialise SubB2M IHC tissue-based tests
- Shares in INOVIQ are up 1.52 per cent, trading at 67 cents as of 3:02 pm AEST
INOVIQ (IIQ) has successfully completed its immunohistochemistry (IHC) feasibility study using its SubB2M probe to aid in diagnosis of malignant melanoma in tissue samples.
SubB2M is an engineered protein that specifically detects the pan‐cancer biomarker Neu5Gc that is found at elevated levels in multiple human cancers.
The study looked at 144 tissue samples including normal, benign, malignant and metastatic and evaluated SubB2M as an IHC reagent to aid in discriminating between the sample types.
Data in the study demonstrated that SubB2M IHC detected melanoma with 91 per cent sensitivity and successfully discriminated between malignant melanoma and benign skin lesions.
Further, the data confirmed the presence of Neu5Gc, the binding target of SubB2M in multiple tissue sections including breast, prostate and ovarian which support the company’s SubB2M diagnostics program developing blood tests for monitoring these cancers and others.
Chief Scientific Officer Dr Gregory Rice said the results support further optimisation and validation of SubB2M as an IHC reagent, particularly as an aid in the diagnosis of malignant melanoma.
“Importantly, the detection of Neu5Gc in these cancer tissues is consistent with its role as a pan‐cancer biomarker and further supports the development of INOVIQ’s SubB2M-based blood tests for breast and ovarian cancers.”
CEO Dr Leearne Hinch added that the company remains focused on the development and commercialisation of its liquid biopsy pipeline of exosome and SubB2M-based blood tests for cancer and other diseases.
“Having successfully completed this SubB2M IHC feasibility study, the company intends to seek interest from diagnostic companies and pathology laboratories to sublicense SubB2M for the development of IHC tissue‐based tests,” she elaborated.
Shares in INOVIQ were up 1.52 per cent, trading at 67 cents as of 3:02 pm AEST.