NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – BioView and Kindstar Global this week announced an agreement granting Kindstar an exclusive license to validate and implement BioView's test for the early detection of lung cancer.
BioView's test is based on fluorescent in situ hybridization technology. Under the deal, Kindstar will purchase equipment and kits from BioView and will exclusively perform the test in China, Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Beijing-based Kindstar has already successfully carried out a pilot study using BioView's assay, the partners said.
The deal is for three years and can be automatically renewed upon certain unspecified criteria being satisfied. Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The BioView Lung Cancer test analyzes sputum samples from patients with a high risk for lung cancer. BioView CEO Alan Schwebel said that the territories covered by the agreement will be the first to have the test as an aid in the early detection of lung cancer, and the deal will be used as a model to offer it globally.
Kindstar Founder and CEO Shiang Huang added, "This test has promise to become a valuable diagnostic and prognostic tool for determining the risk of lung cancer for many patients, but particularly for smokers, and will help broaden Kindstar's oncology test menu offering."
BioView is based in Rehovot, Israel and develops, manufactures, and supplies cell imaging equipment, biological kits, and software to medical institutes and universities.