Aptamer Group PLC (AIM:APTA) rallied 12% as the life sciences specialist teed up an agreement with Timser Group, a women's health-focused pharma, in a deal worth up to £465,000.
"Under the terms of the agreement, Aptamer group will develop Optimer binders to Timser's patented cervical cancer biomarker panel - a three-protein signature that can be used to detect cervical cancer and precancerous lesions," the company said.
"The Optimers will power the world's first blood test for cervical cancer, preventing invasive smear tests and delivering earlier, more sensitive diagnostics."
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer type in women worldwide and currently relies on invasive and relatively low-sensitivity Papanicolaou (PAP) smear tests.
Timser's diagnostic will allow earlier detection at the precancerous lesion stage, which is associated with increased survival.
The shares rose 0.08p to 0.76p.