Pacific Edge today announces it has substantially completed a commercial agreement with the New Zealand Southern District Health Region (SDHR) for the use of its non-invasive Cxbladder genomic biomarker tests.

The SDHR, which under the new Te Whatu Ora, Health New Zealand, has assumed administrative healthcare responsibility for 326,000 people across Otago and Southland, will deploy Cxbladder Triage into the primary care setting. Deploying into primary care follows the clinical practice model for hematuria evaluation (blood in the urine) established in the Canterbury health region. This deployment model provides care to the greatest number of patients and offers clinically actionable information at the earliest point in the patient care pathway. 

The agreement with SDHR will mean that 15 of New Zealand’s 20 administrative health regions, which together cover more than 75% of the country’s population, will now have access to the test via public healthcare. Under the primary care model, General Practitioners will be able to order Cxbladder Triage to help safely de-intensify clinical workup for patients presenting with hematuria. In many cases this will reduce the need for secondary referral and an invasive cystoscopy.

Brent Pownall, VP Commercial for the Asia Pacific region at Pacific Edge, said: “We are delighted to be deploying Cxbladder in the Southern region – the home of Pacific Edge where Cxbladder was conceived and developed. Adoption of Cxbladder Triage at SDHR in the primary care model is further affirmation of the clinical utility of Cxbladder for de-intensifying hematuria evaluation at the earliest point in the patient care pathway and a great example of the strength and capability of Otago’s healthcare research community.

“Cxbladder can safely de-intensify clinical workup, which optimizes available public healthcare funding and frees up healthcare resources for those patients most in need. An important benefit for patients is that it can safely spare patients from the potential risks and discomfort of an invasive cystoscopy examination, meaning Cxbladder is a positive change in the standard of patient care.”

The Southern region is one of the largest in the country, covering 62,000 sq km. Cxbladder sample collection will be available via Southern Community Labs sites and GP offices. Meanwhile, in hard-to-reach rural areas patients will be able to use Pacific Edge’s in-home sampling system.