NEW YORK – Helio Genomics said Thursday that its sister company, Laboratory for Advanced Medicine & Health Group (LAMH), has received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China for its cell-free DNA-based liver cancer detection test. The assay is the first of its kind to receive this approval.
The test is an adaptation of Helio's HelioLiver test that is specifically tailored for the genetic makeup of the Asia-Pacific population. The company estimated that 87 million people in China live with hepatitis B, a risk factor for liver cancer, representing one third of the hepatitis B population in the world.
"We believe this approval will have a profound impact on patient outcomes by enabling the detection of liver cancers at an earlier stage, when curative treatment is more likely," Helio Chief Scientific Officer David Taggart said in a statement.
According to Helios, LAMH intends to collaborate with leading medical institutions, healthcare providers, and stakeholders in China to integrate and maximize the reach of the newly approved assay.