NEW YORK — Singapore-based RNA technology firm Mirxes said Wednesday that it has agreed to work with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI) to develop a blood-based test for the early detection of colorectal cancer.
Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding, the partners will use Mirxes' proprietary microRNA technology with archived biospecimens from UMBI and the Malaysian Cohort Biobank to identify blood-borne biomarkers of colorectal cancer. The biomarkers may be used as the basis of a colorectal cancer test for the Malaysian market.
The deal also includes a staff exchange and training programs between the university and Mirxes, as well as the establishment of a joint lab for translational research and clinical testing. The collaborators also intend to expand their alliance to additional cancers such as those of the stomach and lung.
Additional terms were not disclosed.
"Malaysia is a key market for Mirxes, and we're committed to codeveloping and making accessible our portfolio of blood-based cancer early detection tests, starting with colorectal cancer," Mirxes Cofounder and CEO Zhou Lihan said in a statement.
Last month, Mirxes struck a deal with Thermo Fisher Scientific and Singapore’s National University Hospital to develop and validate next-generation sequencing-based assays for early cancer detection in the country. And about a year ago, Mirxes inked a pair of agreements to develop and commercialize cancer tests in China and Indonesia.