21
December
2015
|
16:00
Asia/Singapore

More accurate gastric cancer screening

From left: Ms Guan Jye Swei, Research Assistant, NUS Biochemistry; Asst Prof Lim; Mr Zaccheus Peh, CEO, Restalyst; and Mr Ivan Lim, Manager, Restalyst

An NUS technology, invented by Assistant Professor Lim Yoon Pin from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, was instrumental in the development of GC-REAAD, a device that offers more precise detection of gastric cancer.

Created by medical diagnostic company Restalyst Pte Ltd, GC-REAAD is a blood-based gastric cancer screening kit which demonstrates a higher accuracy rate for diagnosing gastric cancer in validation studies, when compared to other screening kits. It has exhibited sensitivity and specificity rates of between 80 and 95 per cent, while corresponding rates by different cancer kits typically range from 16 to 63 per cent. GC-REAAD is well-placed to complement other diagnostic tests, such as the endoscopy, which is a widely accepted method for detecting gastric cancer. However, endoscopy is highly invasive, costly and carries the risk of complications such as perforation or tissue damage.

“We are delighted that Restalyst has successfully commercialised this NUS technology, translating it from a technology on a lab bench, into a diagnostic tool that can screen for gastric cancer. This is a good example of one of our local SMEs bringing new technologies from NUS to market and boosting their own competitiveness,” said Dr Lily Chan, CEO, NUS Enterprise.

Restalyst launched GC-REAAD at a medical trade fair Medica 2015 in Düsseldorf, Germany last month. Having obtained CE Mark certification to be used as an in vitro diagnostic device within the European Union, Restalyst aims to market the screening kit to clinics, hospitals and laboratories across Europe.