Source : THE AGE NEWS
By James Pearson
A 66 per cent-owned subsidiary of ASX-listed Proteomics International Laboratories has picked up a major win in the world’s most populous market after being granted a Chinese patent for its potentially revolutionary muscle stress test.
Developed alongside The University of Western Australia, OxiDx Limited’s technology uses a quick, low-cost fingerprick blood test to track muscle damage caused by oxidative stress in elite athletes and thoroughbred racehorses.
Proteomics International Laboratories’ OxiDx has secured a Chinese patent for its innovative muscle stress test that could be used to monitor muscle damage in thoroughbred horses and elite athletes.
Oxidative stress is caused by an overload of toxic oxidants – known as free radicals, which start to overpower the body’s natural defences, throwing the system off balance. It is also linked to more than 70 different human health conditions.
The test can be done anywhere, from a lab at home or on the track to deliver instant feedback that can help manage training, injury recovery and even early intervention for chronic health issues such as cancer and diabetes.
Muscle injuries account for up to 55 per cent of all sports injuries in professional athletes. The horse racing industry fares even worse, with 85 per cent of thoroughbreds suffering at least one injury by the time they finish their second racing season.
Proteomics says the freshly granted Chinese patent effectively future proofs the company’s competitive advantage in Asia and remains valid until 2039.
The commercial potential of the test appears enormous, particularly in a performance-obsessed market like China, where sports science, wellness, and elite horse racing are all booming.
The new patent has also added serious firepower to OxiDx’s global intellectual property footprint, which already covers the US, Japan, Europe and Australia. Second-generation protections are still in the pipeline for key markets such as Singapore, India and a fresh round in the US.
Proteomics lit up the diagnostics scene in December when its OxiDx test holed out a proof-of-concept trial, tracking muscle damage and recovery in elite marathon runners with pinpoint accuracy.
The company has since kicked off equine trials to see if the same technology can predict muscle damage in top-tier racehorses.
OxiDx is just one of several cutting-edge blood tests Proteomics has in the pipeline as it zeros in on some of the world’s most lucrative and urgent health markets.
The company also recently rolled out its first commercial product called “PromarkerD” in Australia and the US. That breakthrough diagnostic test delivers an early warning for chronic kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes. Clinical trials show PromarkerD can flag the condition up to four years before symptoms appear, giving doctors and patients a critical head start on treatment.
With over 500 million people living with diabetes globally, Proteomics says there is a massive upside opportunity for PromarkerD and it is gunning to make it the gold standard in kidney disease prevention.
With the IP armoury now locked and loaded across key global markets, Proteomics appears a step closer to unlocking lucrative new revenue streams.
Its OxiDx technology could be a game-changer for health, performance and injury management in elite athletes, champion racehorses or indeed, anyone just trying to stay ahead of the health curve.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
