AccuStem Sciences Signs Agreement to Access Blood Samples From Lung Cancer Screening Trial to Expedite MSC Commercialization Plan

AccuStem Sciences, Inc.recently announced a development agreement to access blood samples from the multi-institutional, prospective, randomized Rete Italiana di Screening Polmonare (RISP) clinical trial. This study is currently enrolling patients across a clinical network of 18 centers in Italy, and will further demonstrate the impact of AccuStem’s microRNA Signature Classifier (MSC) test in the lung cancer screening setting. The agreement will also provide statistical and analytical support and subject matter expertise to AccuStem to establish and commercialize the MSC test in the US.

“Access to our collaborators’ expertise and support will help us further expand on the utility of the MSC test and ensure that we are able to expedite integration of this novel technology as a standard of care that improves the accuracy of lung cancer screening,” said Wendy Blosser, Chief Executive Officer of AccuStem.

Recently, research has shown the potential of micro RNAs (miRNAs) for the early detection of imperceptible cancers with a simple blood draw. The MSC test evaluates 24 miRNAs in plasma samples from patients diagnosed with lung nodules to improve the performance of low dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening alone. Importantly, the MILD trial demonstrated that MSC in combination with LDCT has the potential to reduce the false positive rate of LDCT alone by a factor of five. The test has been extensively validated in more than 5,000 patients from multiple prospective trials that have demonstrated MSC’s ability to more accurately stratify patients according to their probability of developing cancer. Together, MSC and LDCT have the potential to better triage patients diagnosed with lung nodules, improve patient outcomes and save costs to the healthcare system.

“As the inventors of the MSC test, we have been focused on increasing the value and impact of lung cancer screening programs globally,” said Mattia Boeri, Group Leader at the Experimental Oncology Department of INT. “LDCT screening has had a measurable impact on outcomes for patients with lung nodules, and our technology will help improve its performance while simultaneously reducing costs related to screening. We see this as a win for patients, providers and the broader healthcare system.”

AccuStem is pursuing a strategic commercialization plan intending to launch the MSC test in the US in 2026.

AccuStem is a clinical-stage diagnostics company dedicated to optimizing outcomes and quality of life for all patients with cancer. We plan to drive innovation in healthcare by offering proprietary molecular testing that addresses unmet clinical needs from cancer screening through treatment and monitoring. By interrogating novel disease pathways, such as tumor “stemness”, we believe our tools will help care teams better understand the biology of each patient’s cancer, leading to more informed decision making. For more information, please visit www.accustem.com.