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Q Biomed gets exclusive option to license glaucoma biomarker from Washington University

Published: 18:36 08 Feb 2018 GMT

Eye
Marker monitors progress and effectiveness of treatment

Q BioMed Inc. (OTCMKTS:QBIO) said Thursday it has entered into an exclusive option agreement with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to license a promising biomarker for glaucoma.

Growth differentiation factor 15, or GDF-15, is a novel companion biomarker for monitoring glaucoma and a companion diagnostic to the MAN-01 small molecule currently used in the topical treatment of glaucoma. GDF15 is a member of the transforming growth factor (TGF-beta) superfamily, the company said, and was recently identified as a promising biomarker for glaucoma.

READ: Q BioMed pulls trigger on catalyst-rich year as it brings in US$5.48mln from offering

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, estimated to affect nearly 100 million people by 2020. Washington University researchers have identified a marker of damage to cells in the eye that potentially could be used to monitor the progression of the disease and the effectiveness of treatment.

“Overall, GDF15 represents an attractive biomarker for glaucoma with distinct advantages (i.e., early detection) over conventional clinical tests and has the potential to be a first-in-class diagnostic test,” the company said in a statement.

Shares in New York added 0.94% to C$3.23 each. 

 

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