Investors inject €2 million into Abviris to boost HPV cancer biomarker expansion
Abviris Deutschland, a biotech company, has received an injection of €2 million from existing investors to speed up expansion. The move comes after the publication of highly promising results for its pioneering immunoassay biomarker as an aid in the early diagnosis of head, neck and anogenital cancers caused by human papilloma viruses (HPV).
The novel Abviris biomarker incorporated into its CE-marked Prevo-Check point-of-care system focuses on HPV16, the most aggressive of all HPV strains and responsible for more than 90% of all HPV-related head and neck tumours, and for over half of cervical cancer cases. It relies on detecting an immune response that only occurs when HPV infection has triggered tumour growth. This is the first available blood-based test shown to be specific enough to aid in diagnosis. The rapid flow test delivers results within 20 minutes.
The company is already spearheading the development of further point-of-care applications for the immunoassay technology, designed to address the clinical needs of other high-risk HPV types. Dr. Roman Niedbal, Abviris CEO, explained: “Abviris is on the cusp of major expansion, with this pivotal study drawing immediate attention from potential partners and clinicians keen to collaborate.
“With Prevo-Check already distributed in some European countries, we are actively seeking global strategic partners to open up the potential of our pioneering technology. There is no doubt that we are being ‘watched’ by many international health service providers, who are urgently looking for new solutions which provide greater diagnostic efficiency, able to monitor the effectiveness of treatment and can potentially offer cost-effective screening.” The investor vote of confidence enables Abviris to push ahead with additional, wide-ranging, clinical studies into the biomarker. These will build evidence demonstrating its efficacy as an aid in the diagnosis of a range of different HPV clinical needs and applications
