Invitrocue to work with Garvan Institute to Progress Personalised Real-time Screening of Cancer Drugs

July 03, 2017 – Invitrocue Limited (ASX:IVQ), a leading healthcare bio-analytic solutions providers, is pleased to announce that it has been granted Human Research Ethics Committee approval to understand a cancer research study with Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, to provide further clinical validation of Invitrocue technology for use in personalised real-time screening of cancer drugs.
Approval has been obtained from the St Vincent’s Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee, and follows the signing of a Collaborative Research Master Agreement between Garvan and Invitrocue in February 2017. Pending site approval, the collaboration between Invitrocue and Garvan will now advance further, with clinical trials getting underway to evaluate the potential of patient-derived organoids for testing anticancer therapies before their administration.
The Garvan Institute is one of Australia’s largest medical research institutes, with mission to make significant contributions to medical science that will change the directions of science and medicine and have major impacts on human health. Together, Garvan and St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney are developing new approaches to realise the promise of personalised medicine for individuals with cancer.
Invitrocue is also pleased to announce a successful capital raising of $685,087 through the placemet of 8,563,583 shares at eight cents, and 2,057,563 options exercisable at eight cents within one year to strategic investors to fund development of Onco-PDO business and for working capital.
Invitrocue Executive Director, Dr. Steven Fang commented: “We are pleased to secured HREC approval for our collaboration with the Garvan Institute, and are encouraged by the interest our technology has generated to date. This milestone allows us to advance our engagement further, and explore the potential of our technology in determining the right treatment for each patient, at the right time. Ultimately, we will work towards having Invitrocue technology as a clinical service, improving patient outcomes with a more personalised approach to the treatment of cancer. We are also pleased to have completed a successful capital raising with strategic investors”.
-ENDS-
 
For more information, please contact:
Martin D. Bach, VP Operations
T: +65 6460 0490
martind.bach@invitrocue.com
 
About Invitrocue
Invitrocue is a leading healthcare bio-analytic solutions provider including in vitro cell-based testing technologies and image analytics software for use in digital pathology. Invitrocue has developed a unique 3D cell-based scaffolding technology that mimics human organ samples for using in the field of infectious diseases. In 2016, the company expanded its work in liver disease to the field of oncology. The technology enables patient-derived cancer cells (organoids) to be cultured in laboratories for testing against a panel of drugs to support clinical decision making for individual patients (personalised medicine).
Invitrocue’s technology originated in Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Invitrocue has been developed and validated in partnerships with leading biopharmaceutical companies and scientific collaborators.
Invitrocue currently operates in Singapore and China and is listed on Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker IVQ. Website: www.invitrocue.com
 
About the Garvan Institute of Medical Research
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is one of Australia’s largest medical research institutions. Garvan’s main research areas are: cancer, diabetes and metabolism, genomics and epigenetics, immunology and inflammation, osteoporosis and bone biology, and neuroscience. A key focus of Garvan’s cancer research is the development of personalised medicine approaches to treatment. Garvan’s mission is to make significant contributions to medical science that will change the directions of science and medicine and have major impacts on human health.
 
About St. Vincent’s Hospital Sydney
Founded in 1857 by the Sisters of Charity, St. Vincent”s Hospital is one of Australia’s most iconic Hospitals, which functions as a full service acute public teaching hospital. As part of the NSW-based arm of St Vincent’s Health Australia, the Hospital provides significant training and research activities housing several speciality units that are internationally recognised as centres of excellence. These include heart and lung transplantation bone marrow transplantation, cardiology, cancer care, AIDS/HIV, respiratory medicine, mental health and drug and alcohol services.