SINGAPORE, Nov. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore biomedical firm Restalyst, known for its fuss-free test kits for stomach and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, has come up with a similar product to detect liver carcinoma. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver carcinoma, causes up to one million deaths globally every year. It typically occurs in people infected with the Hepatitis B and C viruses, but can also come about when the liver is damaged by too much alcohol. Experts are seeing rapidly increasing number of cases in Europe and the United States.
To address this, Restalyst has developed a patented screening kit to detect if a person has liver carcinoma. The test, called the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recombinant Antigen-Antibody Detection kit (HCC-REAAD™), works by employing an ELISA[1] test that uses antibodies to target a specific biomarker. When a person has HCC, the concentration of this biomarker in their blood elevates[2]. By being able to detect this biomarker, which is known as IGFBP2, the HCC-REAAD™ test can detect whether a person has liver carcinoma. The HCC-REAAD kit was developed based on a patented technology by Professor Hsieh Sen Yung from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.
"The conventional method of detecting liver carcinoma is not good enough and many cases are picked up too late. By developing in-vitro diagnostics like HCC-REAAD™, which has a high sensitivity and specificity, we hope that more cases will be found at an earlier stage. At Restalyst, we believe in developing diagnostics to improve the efficacy of diagnosis so as to allow for earlier detection, treatment and indirectly saving lives," said Mr Zaccheus Peh, CEO of Restalyst.
Restalyst's HCC-REAAD™ can identify those with liver carcinoma to a high degree of accuracy because it makes use of the unique IGFBP2 biomarker. Studies have shown that the HCC-REAAD™ test has sensitivity and specificity of 82 and 91 per cent respectively. The kit has received CE Mark certification for use as an in vitro diagnostic device. Restalyst will be launching HCC-REAAD™ at MEDICA 2016, Hall 3 Booth 74.
[1] Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. This is a technique used to measure the concentration of a specific substance in a blood sample.
[2] Patent; Protein markers for detecting liver cancer and method for identifying the markers thereof https://www.google.com/patents/US8741288
