Press release

DiaCarta, Inc Closes $8 Million Series A Round for Development and Commercialization of Precision Molecular Diagnostics

Jan 9, 2015 | Press Releases

DiaCarta, Inc is a privately-held biotechnology company raised $8 million in Series A financing from BVCF (BioVeda China Fund). Proceeds from Series A financing will be used to expand the product portfolio and support global commercialization. Dr. Weixin Xu of BVCF will join DiaCarta board of directors.

DiaCarta has CE/IVD assays for highly sensitive mutation detection in EGFR, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA and JAK-2. QClamp™ mutation detection assays utilize a novel xeno-nucleic acid (XNA) clamping technology to suppress amplification of wild-type DNA allowing selective amplification of mutant DNAs in real-time PCR. Mutant DNAs present at less than 0.1% can be detected. The sensitivity and specificity of QClamp™ make it superior to NGS and ddPCR.

DiaCarta’s QuantiVirus® HPV E6/E7 mRNA tests detect HPV E6/E7 mRNA in cervical and oral cancer. Assays are based on branched DNA signal amplification technology, performed without RNA purification or RT-PCR and do not require a clean room environment. Assays are CFDA (Chinese FDA) and CE/IVD cleared.

“We look forward to supporting the parallel development of precision molecular diagnostic tests in the US and China. These novel technologies offer an attractive option to address the growing needs of personalized medicine and companion diagnostics.” said Zhi Yang, general partner at BVCF.

“We seek to be at the forefront in the development of non-invasive tests for detection and monitoring of tumor mutations in human body fluids. We look forward to expanding our product offerings and seeking regulatory approvals in the EU, China and eventually the US.” said Aiguo Zhang, Ph.D., President & CEO of DiaCarta, Inc.

About BVCF
BVCF (http://bvcf.com/, formally known as BioVeda China Fund) is a growth capital focused private equity fund specializing in China Life Sciences and Healthcare industry. Headquartered in Shanghai, BVCF primarily focuses on equity investments in growth-stage companies in the field of Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Medical Devices, Healthcare Services, Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology.

About DiaCarta, Inc.
DiaCarta is a leading Translational Genomics and Molecular Diagnostics company located in the San Francisco Bay area, pioneering novel molecular diagnostics technologies.

Lead Source

Florida Selects DiaCarta’s cfDNA Test (RadTox™) for Statewide Use to Detect Early Response of Cancer Treatment

DiaCarta, a leading molecular diagnostics company specializing in personalized patient care through liquid biopsy, proudly announced that Florida Health Department selected “using plasma DNA concentration (DiaCarta’s RadTox™ test) for early detection of treatment response and resistance” through the Casey DeSantis Florida Cancer Innovation Fund. This fund supports deployment of the RadTox™ test throughout the State of Florida to be performed between Radiotherapy or Chemotherapy doses for real time detection of treatment response or resistance. The results will be as a real time predictor of imaging data.

DiaCarta, Inc. and OncoAssure Ltd. Collaborate to Launch Prostate Cancer Lab Developed Test

DiaCarta, Inc. (“DiaCarta”), a pioneer in molecular diagnostic test development for cancer and infectious diseases, today announced that it has established a strategic collaboration with OncoAssure Ltd, an Irish medical diagnostics company. The focus of the collaboration is to commercialize OncoAssure’s groundbreaking Prostate test which is designed to identify patients with a lower risk of prostate cancer recurrence, guiding decisions on active surveillance or reduced monitoring post-treatment.

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