By Arkansas Business Staff
10/17/2011

An Arkansas company is developing a screening process for early detection of breast cancer that could change the way the disease is treated.

Ascendant Diagnostics, a Virtual Incubation portfolio company based in Fayetteville, is developing a test for the early detection of breast cancer using proteins present in tear samples. The company believes their diagnostic test will detect breast cancer earlier and more reliably then mammograms.

In addition, the test is pain free, non-invasive, quick and available to women anywhere. A simple saline wash of the eye is all that is required.

CEO Omid Moghadam believes the Ascendant method may be a crucial turning point in the fight against breast cancer.

"We are at the beginning of a transformative time in diagnosing and treating cancer," he ssaid. "We are making great strides in understanding the genetic and environmental linkages of disease and will use that information to develop more targeted treatments. One factor that does not change is the need for simple, accurate, and early diagnostic tests."

And this is more than just a selling point to the scientists developing the tear-based technology.

"Giving a tear sample takes less than five minutes," said Anna Daily, senior scientist with Ascendant. For her, the success of the test is more than just a professional ambition.

"As a woman with a family history of breast cancer, playing a significant part in developing a more effective approach to screening for breast cancer is personal," she said. "As I have worked on the project and learned more about mammography and its limitations, I have become even more passionate about developing this assay."

That passion appears to be paying off. Ascendant Diagnostics has established a partnership with the Women's Oncology Clinic at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at UAMS to collect tear samples for testing. The company is also seeking other partnerships in the state of Arkansas and around the country.

The Arkansas Science & Technology Authority awarded a seed capital investment of $100,000 to Ascendant Diagnostics in May to assist in these early studies.

"Obviously, we're very excited to see the potential for this new technology," said Steve Stanley, vice president for research and commercialization for ASTA. "But this is more than just a good investment for the state of Arkansas. It's a chance to save lives in the process. There truly is no better investment than that."

Ascendant Diagnostics expects the tear-based method to be available to patients in limited circulation within two years. This will require taking the test through clinical trials as well as FDA approval. The ultimate goal is to make the tear-based test a standard in yearly health screenings for women over 40 and those at high risk for breast cancer.

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