HealthLinx prepares to wrap up OvPlex trial

HealthLinx (ASX:HTX) has decided to stop recruiting patients for a trial of its OvPlex ovarian cancer diagnostic product, after receiving encouraging preliminary results.

The company announced plans to finalise patient recruitment for its multinational trial of the OvPlex biomarker due to the results from the first two stages.

HealthLinx now expects to complete assay for all the samples in the trial by the end of May, and finalise the initial analysis of the data by the third quarter or early fourth quarter of 2012.

“The company could see no reason to extend the study beyond the current collection regime as the results have been exceptional,” HealthLinx managing director Nick Gatsios said.

He said any further trials will be tailored to satisfying regulatory requirements in the company's initial target markets for OvPlex including the US, China and South Korea.

Last month, HealthLinx selected Oryzon Genomics to be the exclusive distributor of the product in Spain.

The interim results involve a sample set of 742 women, including 222 with malignant epithelial ovarian cancer and 53 with borderline ovarian tumours.

According to HealthLinx, the results show OvPlex provides significantly enhanced efficiency in detecting ovarian cancer compared to the standard CA125 blood test.

HealthLinx (ASX:HTX) shares grew 8.33% in heavy trading on Friday, to reach $0.013 by late afternoon.