News Release

License deal signals major breakthrough in the battle against prostate and bladder cancer

Business Announcement

University of Surrey

A new licence announced today between the University of Surrey and Randox, will bring to market a new test that will help with the early detection of prostate and bladder cancers.

Scientists at the University of Surrey have developed a more reliable way of detecting prostate and bladder cancers, by testing a small urine sample. The team focused on the EN2 protein produced by these types of cancers, and which is secreted into urine. Clinical trials in both Europe and the United States have found that the EN2 biomarker test is twice as effective as the 30-year-old PSA blood test currently used to detect prostate cancer.

The University of Surrey will supply key materials to Randox to manufacture and market products. It is hoped that a test could be made available in GP surgeries around the world, by 2015.

Hardev Pandha, Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Surrey, said: "We are looking forward to working with Randox on this product. This new test could lead to faster detection that could save hundreds of lives, and also offers the potential for huge cost savings.

"Unlike in previous tests that require invasive procedures to produce a trigger, our studies show that the EN2 test immediately shows up and that levels of the protein correlate strongly with how far the disease has spread. This may then help a doctor assess whether the disease may be safely and actively monitored, or whether it has spread more widely and requires treatment."

Dr Peter FitzGerald, Randox Laboratories Founder and Managing Director, said: "With prostate and bladder cancers being among the top ten common causes of cancer death, accurate diagnosis is incredibly important to inform the type of treatment. We are therefore delighted to be working with the University of Surrey to develop and commercialise an EN2 biomarker. The concept of personalised medicine will shape the future of diagnostics and healthcare in general. Building relationships between academics, clinicians, industry and, of course, patients demonstrates how basic science discoveries made at the laboratory bench can be translated into clinical products that have real tangible impact for patients, the economy and society in general."

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Media enquiries: Peter La, Media Relations Office at the University of Surrey, Tel: 01483 689191 or E-mail: p.la@surrey.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. This transaction was managed by McDonald & Associates, a global transaction and strategic consultancy, as advisor to the University of Surrey Technology Transfer Office.

About Randox

Randox Laboratories are the largest medical diagnostics company in the UK. They create the science behind blood testing, exporting their products to over 145 countries worldwide, with a wide range or reagents, controls, analysers and revolutionary biochip array technology. Employing 1300 people across 25 offices globally, Randox manufactures 3.2 Billion diagnostic tests per year and approximately 4% of the total usage of tests in the world.

Randox currently has 400 new tests under development - probably more than any other diagnostics company in the world and expanding.

The Guardian Good University Guide

The University of Surrey has recently entered the top ten of the Guardian University League table at number 8. The table is part of the Guardian Good University Guide, which is published annually as a guide to all UK universities ranked according to teaching excellence.

For more details see here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/shortcuts/2013/jun/03/university-of-surrey-guildford-top-10

About the University of Surrey

The University of Surrey is one of the UK's leading professional, scientific and technological universities with a world class research profile and a reputation for excellence in teaching and research. Ground-breaking research at the University is bringing direct benefit to all spheres of life – helping industry to maintain its competitive edge and creating improvements in the areas of health, medicine, space science, the environment, communications, defence and social policy. Programmes in science and technology have gained widespread recognition and it also boasts flourishing programmes in dance and music, social sciences, management and languages and law. In addition to the campus on 150 hectares just outside Guildford, Surrey, the University also owns and runs the Surrey Research Park, which provides facilities for 110 companies employing 2,750 staff.


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