INOVIQ (ASX:IIQ) has announced a breakthrough in detecting ovarian cancer.
The results are a step forward toward earlier detection of the disease, and early intervention is known to dramatically improve survival rates.
There are no current recommended screening methods for asymptomatic women. The global market for ovarian cancer diagnostics was valued at $1.7bn in 2023, and is expected to grow to $2.9bn by 2032.
Exosomes and EXO-NET
Exosomes are tiny, extracellular vesicles secreted by cells that play a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication. They’re released into bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, urine and cerebrospinal fluid, making them accessible for sampling.
Their molecular content reflects the cell of origin, allowing them to carry disease-specific markers, such as those for cancer, cardiovascular conditions or neurodegenerative diseases, which potentially enables early detection and monitoring.
INOVIQ’s “EXO-NET” technology efficiently captures exosomes, enabling high-purity and high-yield isolation suitable for downstream analyses of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids.
The technology is scalable, and is compatible with automated systems. The capture process is typically completed within 15 to 30 minutes.
The study
The validation study involved over 500 blood samples on a high-throughput robotic platform.
Biomarkers previously identified in an earlier “Ovarian Cancer 97” study were measured using mass spectrometry, confirming their diagnostic effectiveness.
The validation study also uncovered additional biomarkers, paving the way for future advancements.
Professor Carlos Salomon Gallo, the Director of the University of Queensland Centre for Extracellular Vesicle Nanomedicine, commented: “This study demonstrated that the EXO-OC test identified ovarian cancer across all stages with an overall accuracy of over 94%. Notably, the EXO-OC test is particularly accurate in identifying early stages of ovarian cancer, achieving a sensitivity of more than 90% and specificity of 96% for stage I, where women have a 5-year survival rate of over 90%.”
“Sensitivity” is the ability of the test to correctly identify people who have the disease (true positives). For example, if 100 women with stage I ovarian cancer were tested, a sensitivity of over 90% means the test correctly identifies at least 90 of them as having the disease.
“Specificity” is the ability of the test to correctly identify pepole who don’t have the disease (true negatives). In this case, if 100 women without stage I ovarian cancer were tested, a specificity of 96% means the test correctly identifies 96 of them as cancer free. High specificity reduces the number of false positives, which prevents unnecessary stress, follow-up tests, or treatments.
What’s next?
INOVIQ plans to optimise the test for commercial instrument platforms and conduct further clinical validations before introducing it to clinical laboratories.
The company is also developing other products, including tests for the earlier detection of breast and bladder cancer.
Shares in INOVIQ are trading 8.6% higher at 50.5 cents.