Volition's Nu.Q® Provides Accurate, Non-Invasive Testing For Cancer Diagnosis In Humans And Canines

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

Cancer is the 2nd-leading cause of death in humans, responsible for 1 out of 6 deaths worldwide every year. Currently, there are 18.1 million new cases diagnosed annually and it’s predicted that number will grow to 29.5 million by 2040. 

Epigenetics company Volition is in the process of developing simple, easy-to-use blood-based tests to diagnose a range of cancers and other diseases in both humans and dogs. Its goal is for these tests to be as accessible as cholesterol or pregnancy testing.

The Next Best Thing

Aside from finding a cure, the next best thing for cancer patients is to receive an early diagnosis, as this can greatly improve their chances of survival. However, current cancer diagnosis testing is often expensive, unpleasant and invasive. Not to mention that some types of cancers are notoriously more difficult to diagnose — blood cancers among the most difficult as well as one of the most common cancers to occur in humans as lymphoma. 

Volition is on a mission to tackle these issues and strongly believes that early, noninvasive, accurate cancer diagnosis remains a significant unmet need and commercial opportunity. 

The company has been conducting large-scale studies across the globe that have concluded in proof-of-concept data reported for lung, colorectal and blood cancers in humans via the company’s Nu.Q® assays system. 

How does Nu.Q® work? Essentially, cancer leads to irregular levels of uniquely structured nucleosomes in the blood. Through a quick blood test, Volition has been able to detect those unique nucleosomes, and by measuring and analyzing them, its Nu.Q® tests can identify patients who may have cancer. This result is then confirmed by follow-up procedures — for example, a colonoscopy must be performed for colorectal cancer.

Man’s Best Friend

Volition has reportedly been screening for cancer in canines as well. The company partners with Texas A&M for these studies and has had such successful results that it's officially launched its first product: Nu.Q® Vet. 

During a study with over 330 dogs, Nu.Q® Vet detected 74% of lymphoma cases and 89% of hemangiosarcoma cases. With such accuracy, and with approximately 6 million canine cancer diagnoses in the U.S. annually, Nu.Q® Vet is expected to do very well. 

U.S. CFO and Executive Vice President of Investor Relations Scott Powell commented, “We were very excited to have our first revenue at the end of last year and we predict continuing growth this year. I think this will be a very big part of Volition’s future.” 

The company hopes a national launch of Nu.Q® Vet is soon to come. 

“Our hope is that our Nu.Q® Vet cancer screening tests will be used in routine health checkups for all older dogs and maybe even some younger ones,” Powell concluded. 

Growth Strategy

The company’s strategy for generating revenue is multifaceted. To start, Volition plans to develop multiple products in the following areas: frontline human and canine screening tests, triage tests to improve sensitivity and specificity of preexisting tests, aid to diagnosis, disease monitoring and treatment response.

In addition to selling its products directly, Volition has the opportunity for continued research and with 90 patents pending worldwide, the company also intends to license its IP, including reagents. 

Upcoming Endeavors

In addition to cancer diagnosis, Volition has begun testing its Nu.Q® technology in response to COVID-19 and Sepsis. Nu.Q® NETs clinical trials are currently underway and awaiting results. 

NETs are just as they sound — chromosome debris that forms as nets to attempt to catch an invading virus. Sometimes the body injects too many NETs into its white blood cells, causing respiratory issues for persons infected with COVID, influenza and pneumonia. More information on Nu.Q® NETs will be available later this year. 

Volition has made its mission to save lives by revolutionizing the way disease, especially cancer, is diagnosed throughout the world. The company’s goal is for Nu.Q® to provide a low-cost routine blood test allowing doctors to check off an extra box along with other routine blood tests, such as cholesterol and PSA — during one single visit — and the company believes that this is currently the only credible way of taking compliance with screening above 80%.

For more information visit https://volition.com/. 

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.