NEW YORK — Israeli diagnostics firm Salignostics said on Tuesday that it has partnered with Sheba Medical Center to develop a saliva-based test for oral cavity cancer.
Under the terms of the deal, Salignostics will work with ARC Innovation, the technology development arm of Tel Aviv, Israel-based Sheba, to develop a proof-of-concept test that uses genomic, proteomic, and extracellular biomarkers in saliva to detect tumors in the mouth. If this work is successful, the partners aim to explore saliva-based tests for other malignancies, beginning with head and neck cancer.
"The collaboration … will allow, for the first time, the early detection of a type of cancer that today cannot be diagnosed at an early stage," Salignostics Cofounder and Deputy CEO Guy Krief said in a statement. "If the development is successful, the path will be opened to diagnose additional types of cancer based on saliva samples, which may prolong and save many lives."
Salignostics, which raised $8 million in a Series A financing round about two years ago, currently offers two CE-marked saliva-based tests, SaliCov for COVID-19 and SaliStick for pregnancy. It is also developing a saliva test for respiratory tract infections.