Proteomics, the leader in predictive diagnostics for DKD, advancing deals with commercialisation partners in Singapore and China this week
PERTH, AUSTRALIA –Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd (‘PILL’; ASX: PIQ), a world leader in biomarker discovery in multiple project areas, is advancing deals this week in Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Asia Pacific commercialization of PromarkerD, the ground-breaking test platform that uses protein biomarkers in the blood to predict the onset of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Proteomics, or PILL, has been granted patents for PromarkerD in China and Singapore, following grants in Australia, Russia and the USA.
There are currently no available tests for predicting the onset of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). 400 million people worldwide are living with diabetes, of which 231 million are in Asia alone, according to the International Diabetes Federation, with DKD ultimately affecting approximately one-third of all adult diabetics. Patients on dialysis can incur costs of $100,000 a year, while the global diabetes epidemic cost health systems more than $673 billion in 2015.
“Early detection is the key to saving lives and saving money, as patients may take lifestyle and medication action immediately to cut their risks,” says Dr Richard Lipscombe, Managing Director of PILL. “PromarkerD means we can accurately predict if someone will acquire kidney disease within 4 years. Clinical results have shown that PromarkerD can predict 95% of those diabetic patients who will go on to develop chronic kidney disease.”
PromarkerD technology was recently validated by the peer-reviewed journal EuPA Open Proteomics(1), the official journal of the European Proteomics Association (EuPA), while a new independent report by Frost & Sullivan, BIOMARKERS IN DIABETES AND OBESITY MANAGEMENT(2), recognizes PILL as a leader in the field and highlights the role that, “PromarkerD, and the early diagnosis of DKD, can play across the Asia-Pacific region.”(2)
“Biomarker technologies that are likely to aid in the effective management of obesity, diabetes, and related complications are likely to have a high adoption potential across the Asia Pacific landscape,” the Frost & Sullivan analysts say, “as Japan, China, Singapore, and India have a high prevalence of diabetes.”
“If we can stem this health crisis tsunami by identifying and treating people before they become symptomatic, we are saving lives as well as billions of dollars in health costs,” said Dr Lipscombe.
(1) “Comprehensive Mass Spectrometry Based Biomarker Discovery and Validation Platform as Applied to Diabetic Kidney Disease”, EuPA Open Proteomics 14(C): 1-10, January 2017.
(2) “Biomarkers Enabling Diabetes and Obesity Management”, Frost & Sullivan, D7A6-01, March 2017.
Promarker Platform
PILL’s diagnostic research is part of the company’s proprietary biomarker discovery platform termed Promarker, which searches for protein ‘fingerprints’ in a sample. This disruptive technology can identify proteins that distinguish between people who have a disease and people who do not, using only a simple blood test. It is a powerful alternative to genetic testing.
The technology is so versatile it can be used to identify fingerprints from any biological source. The Promarker platform is also being applied to the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma, the gastro-causing parasite Giardia (in partnership with a US veterinary company), and endometriosis, a condition that affects one in ten women in their reproductive years.
PromarkerD Diagnostic Test for Diabetic Kidney Disease
The test can both diagnose and predict diabetic kidney disease. In diabetic patients already suffering from chronic kidney disease, PromarkerD successfully diagnosed the presence of disease missed by current gold standard tests (known as the ACR and eGFR tests).
Critically, PromarkerD can also predict the onset of disease before clinical symptoms appear. In an extension of the published work, 576 patients were followed in a four year longitudinal clinical study. PromarkerD accurately predicted 95% of the previously kidney disease-free diabetic patients who went on to develop chronic kidney disease.