pSivida to focus on cancer diagnostics

Perth-based nanotechnology company pSivida (ASX: PSD) has selected cancer diagnostics as the first target area for its in vivo immunodiagnostic system.

Combining the BioSilicon technology developed by the company's UK subsidiary pSiMedica with porous silicon optical mirror technology developed by German group Forschungszentrum, the system comprises BioSilicon particles loaded with antibodies against specific cancer markers, and a sensitive hand-held laser-based detection system that detects the changes in refractive index caused by accumulation of antibody-marker complexes.

Dr Anna Kluczewska, manager for diagnostics business development, said the initial target would probably be remission testing, where implants would be used to monitor patients to ensure early detection of cancer recurrence. But the market is likely to be extended to allow monitoring of patients with risk factors such as family history.

While the company has not yet chosen a specific cancer marker or cancer type for development, it plans to do so shortly, and expects proof-of-concept studies in animals to be completed within six months.

"We have preliminary data on various aspects already," Kluczewska said. The company has access to a solid foundation of safety and other data on BioSilicon from pSiMedica and has shown that particles can be loaded up with antibodies, and that changes in the refractive index of the particles can be measured.

As the system will be classified as a medical device, regulatory approval should be relatively fast compared with therapeutic uses of BioSilicon, Kluczewska said. Initially the company plans to develop the tests as point-of-care diagnostics, with later development of home- or self-testing systems.

While pSivida has chosen to concentrate its efforts on the billion-dollar cancer testing market, it will also explore other opportunities to co-develop or out-license the technology into other therapeutic areas such as monitoring of chronic conditions including rheumatoid arthritis.