AroCell enters into a partnership with ZECEN Biotech for distribution in China
AroCell has today signed a Supply and License agreement with ZECEN Biotech for the distribution of the product TPS® CLIA on their automated platforms on the Chinese market.
In 2019, AroCell's subsidiary IDL Biotech began a collaboration with ZECEN Biotech regarding automation of the TPS® tumor marker on all of ZECEN Biotech's automated systems. The project has proceeded well and therefore a commercial agreement has now been concluded.
The registration process has now begun with The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China, former CFDA, and the product is planned to be available in the Chinese market by the end of 2022.
“The development project with ZECEN Biotech has been very successful and we are now pleased to be able to conclude this agreement which gives us access to their automated platforms to reach the major hospitals in China. This is an important step in our strategy to focus on near-patient rapid tests, as well as automation of our products,” says Anders Hultman, AroCell's CEO.
According to the agreement, ZECEN Biotech will pay a royalty to AroCell based on sales in China. Several factors will affect revenue. These factors are uncertain and at this stage prevent us from predicting future revenues.
About TPS®
TPS® is a sensitive biomarker that is primarily used in the follow-up of metastatic breast cancer. TPS® has also been documented for other cancers, such as prostate and ovarian cancer. TPS® is an activity marker that measures soluble fragments of cytokeratin 18, which are overexpressed in epithelial cells. By following the patient with TPS® analyzes, both during treatment and follow-up, the clinician can obtain critical information about ongoing tumor activity and thus detect recurrences earlier. The tumor marker is a reliable indicator of tumor cell activity that is particularly useful in-patient management for various malignant tumors.
About ZECEN Biotech
ZECEN Biotech Co., Ltd., is a company that primarily specializes in providing total solutions of chemiluminescence immunoassay by developing, manufacturing, and marketing CLIA instruments and reagents. The company collaborates with leading hospitals in China and, in addition to customers in the domestic market, also has customers in South Asia, South America, East, and Southern Europe in the international market. The company has research and development centers and a production base in Beijing, Shandong, and Jiangsu. ZECEN Biotech Co., Ltd., was founded in 2011 and currently has about 1,400 automated systems located in China.