NEW YORK– Axim Biotech® , Inc. (OTCQB: AXIM) (“AXIM® Biotech,” “AXIM” or “the Company”), an international healthcare solutions company targeting oncological and cannabinoid research, announced today its oncology-focused subsidiary, Sapphire Biotech, Inc. (“Sapphire”), filed a utility patent application relating to a novel biomarker for the detection of cancer in blood serum and urine.
“Sapphire’s diagnostics products have the potential to change the way in which cancer is detected and treated, not only by enabling detection with a simple blood test but also by providing an important tool for oncologists to assess the treatment protocol for patients,” said AXIM® Biotech CEO John W. Huemoeller II.
The patent application is based on Sapphire’s discovery of the long splice variant of the enzyme, quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase (QSOX1-L), as a biomarker in bladder cancer patients’ sera that was highly specific for the presence of cancer and was low or non-existent in normal donors’ sera. This is the first time that a clinically relevant QSOX1-L splice variant has been identified as a unique biomarker of bladder cancer and other cancers in serum.
Sapphire scientists have generated a novel antibody that selectively detects only this splice variant and have used the biomarker to develop a prototype rapid and cost-effective diagnostic test for bladder and other cancers non-invasively. On August 21, 2019, a one-year clinical trial began to evaluate Sapphire’s test to detect the QSOX1 biomarker in patients with or at risk for pancreatic cancer.
“Sapphire’s objective is to address the large mortality cancer rate by developing products using its proprietary biomarker, QSOX1, that can potentially detect cancer earlier than blood biopsy tests,” said Catalina Valencia, Chief Executive Officer of Sapphire Biotech.
Sapphire’s Diagnostics Product Portfolio includes:
- Universal Companion Diagnostic Test: Sapphire scientists have developed proprietary assays to detect QSOX1 levels in patients undergoing cancer treatment. The universal companion diagnostic test is intended to measure the response to treatment and to monitor post-treatment recurrence by tracking QSOX1 levels in blood. Animal studies are expected to commence imminently.
- Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Diagnostic Test: The Company is developing an IHC test, using proprietary anti-QSOX1 antibodies for diagnosis of cancer. The Company’s goal is to complete the development of a commercial prototype in the first quarter of 2021.
- Universal Cancer Biomarker: The Company has been studying QSOX1 levels in the blood of cancer patients to make the correlation between QSOX1 levels with various cancer stages. The ultimate goal is to validate QSOX1 as a blood biomarker for the presence of cancer in asymptomatic individuals. Breast, lung and pancreatic cancer-focused validation studies are planned.
About AXIM® Biotechnologies
Founded in 2014, AXIM® Biotechnologies, Inc. (AXIM) is a vertically integrated oncology company developing diagnostic tests for the early detection of cancer, proprietary small molecules drugs not only to treat cancer but also to block metastasis and developing novel antibodies for therapeutic and diagnostic uses. AXIM is also developing new cannabinoid molecules for oncological therapeutics.
Currently, Sapphire Biotech, Inc.’s diagnostic tool is being used to study the company’s enzyme biomarker to detect pancreatic cancer earlier than circulating tumor cells. Learn more here.
About Sapphire Biotech
Sapphire Biotech, Inc. is a research and development company that has a mission to improve global cancer care through the development of proprietary therapeutics for inhibiting cancer growth and metastasis. Sapphire is also developing a line of novel diagnostics for early cancer detection, response to treatment, and recurrence monitoring.