Aspira, Oxford Ink Deal for Development of Endometriosis Test

NEW YORK – Aspira Women's Health said Thursday that it has signed a material transfer agreement with the University of Oxford to obtain serum samples to verify and validate its endometriosis test.

Austin, Texas-based Aspira said it plans to use the samples to support the launch of its EndoCheck blood test for endometriosis by the end of the year.

The test is meant to be used with other nonsurgical approaches to aid in the diagnosis of endometriosis. Aspira said it expects it to offer sensitivity and specificity comparable to currently used invasive methods such as surgical biopsy and visualization.

"We are excited to enter into this agreement with the University of Oxford. With their samples, we will be able to drive our EndoCheck validation process forward and bring this much needed test to market," Aspira CEO Nicole Sandford said in a statement.

"An important step towards improving outcomes for women with endometriosis is faster, more reliable diagnosis." Christian Becker, codirector of the Oxford Endometriosis Care (EndoCaRe) Centre, said in a statement. "We are excited to support Aspira Women’s Health in developing a much-needed test for the identification of this debilitating disease."

Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.