Biotechnology company Oxford BioDynamics Plc (AIM: OBD) on Wednesday announced the publication of clinical study results confirming the efficacy of its EpiSwitch Colorectal No-Stool Test (NST). The peer-reviewed findings, published in the Cancers journal, demonstrate detection accuracy of 81% for early-stage colorectal cancer (CRC) and 82% for non-cancerous polyps.

The study involved 325 patients and was conducted in collaboration with Norwich Medical School, NHS Trusts, and multiple hospitals in Malaysia. Using the EpiSwitch 3D genomics platform, two eight-marker biomarker signatures were identified for the diagnosis of CRC and precancerous polyps.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer globally, with 1.9 million new cases and 930,000 deaths in 2020. Current non-invasive screening methods often lack sensitivity to early cancer and polyps. The EpiSwitch NST offers a rapid, minimally invasive, and cost-effective alternative with 84% sensitivity and 79% specificity for early cancer detection.

OBD is in discussions with potential partners to commercialize the test. The company's existing products include the EpiSwitch PSE, which enhances prostate cancer screening accuracy, and the EpiSwitch CiRT, a predictive immuno-oncology response test.

Headquartered in Oxford, UK, with operations in the US and Malaysia, OBD continues to develop precision diagnostic tests across oncology, neurology, inflammation and other therapeutic areas.