Breast Cancer Early Detection Blood Test
'MASTOCHECKTM'Expands
to 7 Countries in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East
-
Bertis
Signs Co-promotion and Distributorship Agreement for MASTOCHECKTM with
SaudiVax During the State Visit of the President of South Korea to Saudi Arabia-CEO
Seung-Man Han stated, "Due to the high demand for the blood test method
and the presence of a nationally led medical delivery system in the region, we
are committed to establishing a stable testing delivery system."
On
October 30th, Bertis, a company specializing in the development of
proteomics-based precision medicine technology (led by CEOs Dong-young Noh and
Seung-man Han), announced that it has entered into a co-promotion and distributorship
agreement for its early breast cancer detection blood test, MASTOCHECKTM,
with the Saudi biotechnology firm, SaudiVax Inc., in Saudi Arabia.Through
this agreement, SaudiVax will be responsible for sales and marketing of
MASTOCHECK in seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait. They
will also manage the collection and delivery of blood samples for testing in
medical institutions within those countries. Bertis will conduct the samples
analysis and deliver the test results. Additionally, Bertis will provide
necessary support for MASTOCHECK sales and marketing, including handling
regulatory approvals, marketing, medical staff training, and patient
information dissemination. In
addition, this agreement was signed on the occasion of the state visit of the
President of South Korea to Saudi Arabia from the 21st to the 24th, as well as
the visit of the South Korean business delegation. Through this agreement, the
two parties have agreed to simultaneously launch Bertis' developed products,
including blood tests for early detection of pancreatic cancer, in seven Middle
Eastern countries alongside their domestic commercialization.
SaudiVax
is a joint venture between a Saudi Arabian healthcare company UYC, and
U.S.-based PnuVax, which supplies biologics to the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) and countries within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Furthermore,
the company is actively supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 project, a
comprehensive initiative led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at economic
diversification, global engagement, and enhanced quality of life. The company
is dedicated to fostering the establishment of the life sciences industry
within Saudi Arabia as part of this broader effort.Dr.
Mazen Hassanain, co-founder and managing director of SaudiVax, stated, "Blood-based
cancer screening tests are considered advanced technology that aligns with
Saudi Arabia's goals in the health sector, including improving healthcare
accessibility, through the Saudi Vision 2030 project. It is expected to
contribute to the enhancement of public health and the development of
biotechnology” he added, “We are committed to making our best efforts to
facilitate the introduction of MASTOCHECK based on our supply system and
expertise, ensuring that patients in need of MASTOCHECK can undergo testing
smoothly."Seung-Man
Han, the CEO of Bertis, stated, “Due to the gap in medical services
accessibility among regions and factors related to religious and cultural
differences, there is a high demand for early blood-based cancer diagnostic
tests in key Middle Eastern countries. Introducing MASTOCHECK to these
countries is a positive step forward.” He further mentioned, “As these
countries take the lead in providing medical services, we expect the testing
process to be activated rapidly from the early stages. We are going to put the
best effort to establish a stable testing delivery system to ensure reliable
test services for the patients.”MASTOCHECK
is a blood test method that allows for convenient early screening of breast
cancer. It quantitatively measures three specific protein biomarkers closely
associated with breast cancer within the blood. The quantified biomarkers’
values are then analyzed using a patented proprietary algorithm to enable early
detection of breast cancer. Bertis is currently developing early screening
blood tests for pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer as part of their follow-up
pipeline. For pancreatic cancer early diagnostic solution, the product
development has been completed including marker panels, algorithms, IVD
software, and reagents. Currently the product is going through confirmatory
clinical trial. Regarding ovarian cancer, the marker panel development has been
completed and are planning clinical trials for algorithm enhancement.