A new BARD1 Life Sciences test was able to detect ovarian cancer in 82% of those with the disease, the company announced.
The 400 cases in the BARD1-Ovarian test study covered all stages and several subtypes of the cancer, it added.
In addition to detecting ovarian cancer in 82% of cases, it correctly identified 79% of cancer-free controls. The company said it plans to continue developing the test with an eye toward marketing it as an early cancer detection tool.
Catching and treating cancer at early stages greatly improves outcomes. This is especially important in ovarian cancer because it is typically diagnosed in late stages when chances of recovery are low.
The test could screen for the cancer in high-risk individuals with no symptoms, for risk assessment of malignancy in women with pelvic masses, or to monitor for ovarian cancer recurrence, the company said.
“The positive results achieved in this OC-400 Study confirmed the potential of BARD1-Ovarian to accurately detect ovarian cancer with high sensitivity and specificity,” BARD1’s CEO, Dr. Leearne Hinch, said in a press release.
In the OC-400 study, the BARD1-Ovarian test was simplified, analyzing only 20 markers in blood samples. The simplification could lower its cost, making it feasible for diagnosis, the company said.
“The reduced analyte panel is an important step forward in the development of an accurate and affordable BARD1-Ovarian test for early detection of ovarian cancer,” Hinch said.
BARD1 recently conducted another study of the test’s effectiveness that involved 82 ovarian cancer patients and 27 controls. Its ability to detect ovarian cancer rose to 89% in this study, the company reported.
BARD1 is now working on getting BARD1-Ovarian tests to hospitals and laboratories around the world.
“BARD1 anticipates that transfer of our research assay to a commercial platform will enable more efficient development and commercialisation of our diagnostic pipeline for detection of lung, ovarian and other cancers,” Hinch said in a press release.
BARD1 Life Sciences is an Australian company developing diagnostic tools and treatments for unmet cancer needs. Its proprietary BARD1 Technology revolves around the BARD1 protein, also known as BRCA1-associated RING domain protein 1. The protein suppresses tumors in healthy individuals and is an important tumor biomarker in cancer.