MLD and U of C Secure Metabolomic CRC Screening Grant

University of Calgary and Med-Life Discoveries Secure Grant for Commercialization of Metabolomic Blood Test for Colorectal Cancer.

Saskatoon, Sk. Canada, June 18, 2018: As part of its continued efforts toward the early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC), Med-Life Discoveries (MLD) is pleased to announce a collaboration with the University of Calgary’s Department of Surgery and Oncology, and the Metabolomics Division in the Department of Biological Sciences, which has successfully been awarded a Collaborative Health Research Project (CHRP; cofounded by CIHR and NSERC) for approximately $750,000. The funds will be used for the commercial development, validation, and potential integration of a multi-analyte metabolomics-based blood test for premalignant colorectal cancer lesions being developed by the University of Calgary, along with the Cologic(TM) Test for colorectal cancer risk, currently manufactured and marketed by MLD.

Dr. Oliver Bathe, Surgical Oncologist and Professor of Surgery and Oncology and the Principle Investigator of the study says: "The goal of the project is the creation of patient-friendly tests that are amenable to population-wide screening. To introduce discoveries made in academic institutions to the clinic, it is critical to have a close relationship with experts who can reduce discoveries to practice. Biomedical companies with expertise in test development, regulatory requirements and commercialization have that experience. For this reason, we expect our collaboration with MLD to be highly productive, bringing to the patient a new way to detect colorectal cancer at a very early stage."

Dr. Shawn Ritchie, MLD’s CEO and inventor of the Cologic(TM) test adds: “MLD’s expertise in commercial mass spectrometry-based metabolomic technology development, including the manufacturing and regulatory nuances that are required to build robust clinical-grade diagnostic assays, is second to none. We see this partnership with Dr. Oliver Bathe, Dr. Hans Vogel, and others at the University of Calgary as a synergistic opportunity to develop and validate the next generation of blood-based screening tests for colorectal and potentially other cancers.” If successful, a multi-analyte test integrating Cologic(TM) for the detection of asymptomatic risk along with the U of C’s panel for the detection of premalignant lesions, would be the first of its kind and set a new standard for the screening and early detection of CRC.

The commercialization plan will be led by Innovate Calgary in collaboration with MLD. Other stakeholders involved in the clinical knowledge translation include the Alberta Surgery and Cancer Strategic Clinical Networks, and Calgary Lab Services.

About MLD
MLD is a biopharmaceutical and diagnostics company dedicated to the early detection and prevention of chronic disease. The company is based out of Saskatoon, SK, Canada and works with collaborators and partners world-wide. MLD’s current products include the Cologic(TM) and PanaSee(TM) blood tests for the detection of CRC and Pancreatic cancer risk, respectively, and preclinical lead therapeutic compounds for the treatment of Rhizomelic Chondrodysplasia Punctata (RCDP), Alzheimer’s disease, Levadopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson’s disease, and Multiple Sclerosis.
More information: med-life.ca