Healthcare devices manufacturer Immunovia AB (STO:IMMNOV) announced on Thursday that the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts will participate in the validation of IMMray PanCan-d as a part of the final steps to commercialisation for the blood-based test for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

This agreement between Immunovia and BIDMC adds fresh pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) samples and controls to Immunovia's collection criteria of up to 2,000 fresh samples to satisfy the needs for the remaining steps in the commercialisation of IMMray PanCan-d.

The Pancreas and Liver Institute at BIDMC will collect and share for validation 170 PDAC and control blood samples from patients who have had an alarming CT scan showing suspicions of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and as a result were referred to a GI specialist for diagnostic imaging.

Reportedly, the final three steps towards commercialisation remain commercial test model, expected by year-end 2019; verification expected to be in Q2 2020; and the final readout of the blinded validation of IMMray PanCan-d expected to be in Q3 2020, just prior to going to market.