Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd., a world leader in biomarker discovery in multiple project areas, is advancing deals this week in Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Asia Pacific commercialization of PromarkerD, the ground-breaking test platform that uses protein biomarkers in the blood to predict the onset of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Proteomics, or PILL, has been granted patents for PromarkerD in China and Singapore, following grants in Australia, Russia and the USA.

There are currently no available tests for predicting the onset of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). 400 million people worldwide are living with diabetes, of which 231 million are in Asia alone, according to the International Diabetes Federation, with DKD ultimately affecting approximately one-third of all adult diabetics. Patients on dialysis can incur costs of $100,000 a year, while the global diabetes epidemic cost health systems more than $673 billion in 2015.

"Early detection is the key to saving lives and saving money, as patients may take lifestyle and medication action immediately to cut their risks," says Dr Richard Lipscombe, managing director of PILL. "PromarkerD means we can accurately predict if someone will acquire kidney disease within 4 years. Clinical results have shown that PromarkerD can predict 95% of those diabetic patients who will go on to develop chronic kidney disease."

PromarkerD technology was recently validated by the peer-reviewed journal EuPA Open Proteomics, the official journal of the European Proteomics Association (EuPA), while a new independent report by Frost & Sullivan, Biomarkers In Diabetes And Obesity Management, recognizes PILL as a leader in the field and highlights the role that, "PromarkerD, and the early diagnosis of DKD, can play across the Asia-Pacific region."

"Biomarker technologies that are likely to aid in the effective management of obesity, diabetes, and related complications are likely to have a high adoption potential across the Asia Pacific landscape," the Frost & Sullivan analysts say, "as Japan, China, Singapore, and India have a high prevalence of diabetes."

"If we can stem this health crisis tsunami by identifying and treating people before they become symptomatic, we are saving lives as well as billions of dollars in health costs," said Dr Lipscombe.