The German-American cancer molecular diagnostics company Epigenomics AG and leading clinical diagnostics company in cancer and genetic tests, BioChain have announced that BioChain has licensed Epigenomics’ methylated Septin9 marker for the blood based detection of colorectal cancer (CRC). BioChain, will offer a Septin9 assay as a service to customers through its’ Beijing based Chinese independent reference laboratory.

Grace Tian, chief executive officer of BioChain Institute, Inc., USA, noted, “Through this agreement we will immediately initiate efforts in China to validate and deploy the methylated Septin9 assay allowing the establishment of new standards for access and convenience in our home market. We see this effort as a first step in developing a relationship with Epigenomics to bring early stage cancer detection to the market.”

Additionally, Dr Thomas Taapken, chief financial officer and acting CEO of Epigenomics, commented, “We are pleased that BioChain has decided to collaborate with us in making a methylated Septin9 assay available in mainland China. This allows more convenient alternatives for CRC screening to become available in this emerging market, where prevalence of CRC in the population is on the raise and growing awareness is creating a need for early detection.”

BioChain is a manufacturer of Life Sciences tools and the pioneer of molecular genetics diagnostics in the US and China. It is also the owner and operator of an independent reference laboratory, equivalent of a CLIA lab, in China – Beijing BioChain Medical Laboratory (BBML).

Epigenomics is a molecular diagnostics company developing and commercializing a pipeline of proprietary products for cancer.