Cxbladder Test Suite Adopted by MidCentral DHB

Pacific Edge Signs Agreement Extending Commercial Partnership with MidCentral District Health Board, to Encompass All Cxbladder Tests for Application Across the Clinical Pathway

Cancer diagnostics company, Pacific Edge (NZX: PEB), has signed a commercial agreement with the MidCentral District Health Board (MCDHB) extending its use to the full suite of Cxbladder cancer tests for use across the clinical pathway for the detection, management and monitoring of bladder cancer patients.

In mid-2013, MCDHB was the first New Zealand DHB to commence using Cxbladder Detect commercially, successfully demonstrating the clinical utility of Cxbladder to prioritise patients who have non-visible or microscopic haematuria (blood in the urine and a key indicator of bladder cancer) for appropriate treatment.

In another first, Cxbladder will now be incorporated into the standard of care by MCDHB across the bladder cancer pathway from initial diagnosis to post-treatment surveillance, and reflects the growing recognition of the benefits and enhanced clinical utility provided by Cxbladder. While the full suite of tests will be available, Cxbladder Triage and Cxbladder Monitor have been identified as being of particular interest.

In addition, going forward, patients who have had bladder cancer and are undergoing routine surveillance within the hospital clinic setting for recurrence of the disease will now receive Cxbladder Monitor. This test is targeted to identify those patients who have a low probability of having a recurrence of the disease and ‘ruling them out’. These patients would not be expected to receive a full urological work-up, providing benefits for both the healthcare system and patients.

Brent Pownall, Commercial Director of Pacific Edge Diagnostics, said: “We are delighted with MidCentral DHB’s decision to utilise Cxbladder in their standard of care. MidCentral have invested a significant amount of time and resource to validate the clinical utility and performance of Cxbladder. MidCentral recognised the potential for the product to improve the timeliness and quality of care for their bladder cancer patients in the urology department. Today’s agreement with MidCentral supports the company’s goal of delivering a suite of Cxbladder tests as a ‘one stop shop’ to address multiple needs across the clinical pathway for bladder cancer.”

Christophe Chemasle, Clinical Leader of Urology at MCDHB, said: “We have been using Pacific Edge’s first product, Cxbladder Detect, for a number of years as part of the commercial evaluation we initiated back in 2013. With the more recent introduction of the new Cxbladder tests, Triage and Monitor, we now have access to a complete diagnostic toolkit that covers the whole bladder cancer pathway. In particular, for patients in the Manawatu/Whanganui region undergoing surveillance for bladder cancer, using Cxbladder Monitor provides an obvious benefit for those patients who are identified by the test as not requiring a cystoscopy.”

Under the agreement, MCDHB will provide access for patients throughout the Manawatu/Whanganui region, with Cxbladder urine sampling systems sent to selected Medlab laboratory collection centres where the specimen collection will be carried out, and the samples then sent to Pacific Edge’s certified Dunedin laboratory for analysis and fast turnaround of test results.

MCDHB is the latest in a growing list of New Zealand District Health Boards (DHBs) to incorporate Cxbladder into their clinical pathways for urology services, with Canterbury and Waitemata DHBs also signing agreements in 2016.

Pacific Edge CEO, David Darling, said: “This is another important strategic achievement for Pacific Edge. New Zealand’s urologists are leading the way in the adoption of Cxbladder, with public and private healthcare providers and healthcare insurers recognising the benefits of our accurate, non-invasive and cost effective Cxbladder tests. We have a long working relationship with MidCentral and are delighted with this latest agreement.” 

ENDS