NEW YORK – In vitro diagnostics company Todos Medical announced today it has expanded its partnership with Orot[+] to launch and distribute Todos' early breast cancer detection blood tests, TM-B1 and TM-B2, in Japan.
The firms have entered into a nonbinding memorandum of understanding under which Orot will spend at least $2.5 million on regulatory approval, clinical development, and the commercial launch of the tests.
Orot plans to create a Japanese distribution company for the tests, and that company will hold exclusive rights to sell and distribute TM-B1 and TM-B2 in Japan.
"Japan, like much of Asia, has an enhanced need for alternatives to mammogram as the primary breast cancer diagnostic, due to the high incidence of women with dense breast tissue, making this an especially important market for us," Herman Weiss, president and CEO of Todos Medical, said in a press release.
Earlier this year, the two companies agreed on an exclusive distribution agreement for both tests in Romania and Austria.
TM-B1 and TM-B2 have both been approved by the European Commission.
Todos Medical, based in Rehovot, Israel, is an in vitro diagnostic company that develops blood tests for early detection of a range of cancers, as well as neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease.
The Tel-Aviv, Israel-based Orot is the operational division of Orot-Luces focusing on distribution of medical services in the cancer arena, mainly in Europe and Southeast Asia.