Unilabs and Diagnoplex SA Announce the Swiss Market Launch of Colox, a Non-invasive Colon Cancer Screening Test

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, February 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Unilabs, a leading supplier of clinical laboratory and medical diagnostic imaging services in Europe and Diagnoplex SA, a developer of molecular diagnostics for colorectal cancer announced today the Swiss market launch of Colox^®, a non-invasive screening test for colorectal cancer. Colox^® is offered as a service by Unilabs' clinical diagnostic service laboratories in Switzerland. Additional countries within Unilabs' network of laboratories are planned to follow in 2014.

The novel Colox^® test can detect colorectal cancer from a routine blood sample through all stages of disease, with a particular focus on early stages, where the prognosis is optimal. The test is based on quantifying a unique 29 biomarker molecular signature using quantitative RT-PCR. The effectiveness of Colox^® was confirmed in a series of prospective clinical studies. Colorectal cancer screening guidelines indicate that women and men at average risk should be offered screening for colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps beginning at age 50 years.

'We are proud to offer this important new option to efficiently screen for colorectal cancer, the second most important cancer in terms of mortality in developed countries' comments Stavros Therianos, CEO of Diagnoplex SA and adds 'our goal is now to make the test available to as many individuals at risk as possible. In parallel with this robust commercialization effort, we are looking to raise the additional funds necessary to perform complementary clinical studies leading to a full reimbursement of Colox^®. To this end, we are open to discussion with interested parties'.

Alain Cahen, Unilabs' Managing Director in Switzerland, said: 'It is a great success to announce that Colox^® is now produced by Unilabs. We have prepared a distribution strategy and a communication campaign that will reach doctors as of March. This campaign will include information regarding the logistics and availability of Colox^® in the different regions of Switzerland, including explanatory brochures for the doctors and for the individuals at risk'.

Thierry Mauvernay, Delegate of the Board of Debiopharm Group - a lead investor in Diagnoplex - agreed, adding: 'We believe that the Colox^® test offers a much better and easier solution for patients than existing alternatives. As such we believe that the availability of Colox^® will help increase the early detection of this important cancer, allowing treatment at an earlier stage where there is a much better chance of success'.

To order a Colox^® test

The test is available at Unilabs laboratory. Request form and sampling procedure details can be ordered by contacting the molecular diagnostic department secretary (phone: +41-(0)21-321-4051, fax +41-(0)21-321-4050) or by email: [email protected]

About Diagnoplex

Diagnoplex's lead product, Colox^®, is a convenient and minimally invasive blood test developed for the systematic screening of colorectal cancer. The gene signature underlying Colox^® has been designed to detect early and advanced disease stages with outstanding results and reliability.

Colox^® leverages the information from nucleic acids carried by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PBMCs are instrumental for tumor-host interactions, the so-called "host response", and are involved at the earliest stages of tumor formation. Our ability to screen for the host response enables us to detect colorectal cancer risk at the earliest and even pre-cancerous stages.

For more information about Diagnoplex, please visit: http://www.diagnoplex.com

About Unilabs

Unilabs is a leading diagnostic services company. We operate more than 120 laboratories and 44 radiology units in Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Our customers are public and private healthcare providers, county councils, the general public, insurance companies, the pharmaceutical industry and CROs.  We supply medical laboratory services within: laboratory medicine, genetic testing, medical imaging, cellular pathology, reproductive medicine, drug development services and clinical trials. For more information please visit http://www.unilabs.com.

Diagnoplex S.A. Contact
Stavros Therianos, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

Tel.: +41-21-989-20-00
[email protected]

Unilabs Contact:
Switzerland
Jonas Cosendai
Product Manager - Specialties
Tel.: +41-58-864-59-11
[email protected]

Unilabs Contact:
Global
Fernando de Górgolas, Ph.D.
Group Marketing & Business Development Director
Tel.: +41-22-909-77-77
[email protected]

Additional media contacts:
London
Maitland
Brian Hudspith
Tel.: +44-(0)20-7379-5151
[email protected]

New York
Russo Partners, LLC
Martina Schwarzkopf, Ph.D.
Account Executive
Tel.: +1-212-845-4292
Fax: +1-212-845-4260
[email protected]

SOURCE Diagnoplex SA and Unilabs