Aspira Women’s Health, Inc. Announces a Collaborative Agreement with Baylor Genetics for the Co-Development of an Ovarian Cancer Early-Detection Test

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aspira Women’s Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: AWH), a bioanalytical-based women’s health company, today announced it has entered into a collaborative research agreement with Baylor Genetics (Houston, TX) to co-develop a novel Ovarian Cancer early-detection test. Ovarian cancer accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system and is the only gender specific cancer with an over 50 percent mortality rate impacting women of all ages and ethnicities.

“Aspira has over 10 years of research and experience in early stage detection of ovarian cancer in women, and we are thrilled to accelerate our innovation and product development platform by entering into this collaborative agreement with Baylor Genetics. We look forward to combining the strengths from each respective research team, and working together on our OVA360 clinical study, specifically in our mutual goal of characterizing an Ovarian Cancer molecular profile,” said Lesley Northrop, Ph.D., FACMG, Chief Scientific Officer at Aspira Women’s Health. “Baylor Genetics is one of the founding institutions of genomic research, collaborating on proteogenomic technology in the development of a cell-free DNA-based Ovarian Cancer risk detection test.”  

Dr. Brian Merritt, Medical Director at Baylor Genetics, said,“Ovarian cancer is a particular cancer type in need of better early detection methods, and advances in genetic testing technologies now enable us to develop such a test for clinical use. Aligning with Aspira to co-develop this novel test will advance precision medicine for women with ovarian cancer and potentially lead to earlier intervention, more targeted treatments, and improved outcomes.”

Baylor Genetics has been a leading pioneer in genetic testing, providing unmatched knowledge and experience in hereditary genetics, clinical genomics, and translational technology. Aspira is uniquely positioned to co-develop and recruit patient samples for the development of this new test. With over 10 years of experience in ovarian cancer risk assessment testing and developing multiple FDA-cleared products that are instrumental in helping providers and patients detect risk in women with pelvic masses, Aspira provides both clinical and commercialization expertise for bringing this novel test to market.

About Aspira Women’s Health Inc.
Aspira Women’s Health, Inc. (formerly known as, Vermillion inc., Nasdaq: VRML) is transforming women’s health with the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative testing options and bio-analytical solutions that help physicians assess risk, optimize patient management and improve gynecologic health outcomes for women.  ASPIRA is particularly focused on closing the ethnic disparity gap in ovarian cancer risk assessment and developing solutions for pelvic diseases such as pelvic mass risk assessment and endometriosis. OVA1 plus includes our FDA-cleared products, OVA1, and OVERA to detect risk of ovarian malignancy in women with adnexal masses. ASPIRA GenetiX^TM testing offers both targeted and comprehensive genetic testing options with a gynecologic focus.  With over 10 years of expertise in ovarian cancer risk assessment, ASPIRA is delivering a portfolio of pelvic mass products over a patient’s lifetime with our cutting-edge research. The next generation of products in development are OVANEX^TM and EndoCheck^TM. Visit our website for more information at www.aspirawh.com.

About Baylor Genetics
Baylor Genetics is a joint venture of H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. and Baylor College of Medicine, including the #1 NIH-funded Department of Molecular and Human Genetics. Located in Houston's Texas Medical Center, Baylor Genetics serves clients in 50 states and 16 countries.

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