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SignPost Selected for NewChip Accelerator

SignPost was accepted into Newchip’s renowned global accelerator program. Designed to provide all the skills and tools seed-stage founders need to rapidly fund, build and scale their companies, past accelerator cohorts averaged more than 17.5 times the average funding amount.

“Newchip evaluates a vast and diverse number of seed-stage companies from around the globe, selecting only a small percentage to be part of our Seed Accelerator program,” says Brian Lee, Head of Product at Newchip. “This careful vetting process of both the business model and founder makes us an ideal partner for venture capital investors and other key stakeholders in early-stage startup financings who are looking for promising startups that are beginning to generate traction and revenue.  Life Science companies like SignPost can scale quickly with proper funding and guidance. We are excited for SignPost and believe they will be well positioned to take advantage of our fast-expanding global ecosystem at Newchip.”

 

 

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Breast Cancer over takes lung as most common cancer

GENEVA (Reuters) –Breast cancer has overtaken lung cancer as the most common form of the disease, accounting for nearly 12% of new cases each year worldwide, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

“For the first time, breast cancer now constitutes the most commonly occurring cancer globally,” Andre Ilbawi, a cancer specialist at the WHO, told a U.N. briefing ahead of World Cancer Day on Thursday.

Lung cancer was the most common type for the last two decades, but is now in second place, ahead of colorectal cancer, which is the third most widespread, Ilbawi said.

An estimated 2.3 million new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed last year, representing 11.7% of all cancer cases, the WHO said in a statement. “Among women, breast cancer is the most commonly-diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide,” it said.

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SignPost Selected to Present at the 2021 BioConnect Conference Hosted by H.C. Wainwright

January 7, 2021 – Ontario, Canada – SignPost Cancer Dx Inc. (“SignPost” or “company”), a company developing an advanced molecular diagnostic test to identify invasive breast cancer, announced today that Mr. Peter Blaney, Chief Executive Officer, will present at the 2021 BioConnect Conference hosted by H.C. Wainwright. Registered attendees can access the recorded presentation on-demand (24×7) for the duration of the conference.

Conference Date: January 11-14, 2021 (Monday-Thursday)
Presentation On-Demand:  Starting 6:00am ET – Monday, January 11, 2021
Registration:   https://hcwevents.com/

Mr. Blaney will highlight the company’s lead product, BreastDefense, a molecular diagnostic test to identify invasive breast cancers, from Stage 1-4, with 98.5% accuracy and the company’s strategy going forward.

SignPost will be available for virtual 1:1 meetings both during and after the BioConnect Conference.  Please contact Jennifer K. Zimmons, Ph.D. jzimmons@zimmonsic.com 917.214.3514 for scheduling.

About SignPost Cancer Dx Inc.

SignPost is a company developing an advanced molecular diagnostic test, BreastDefense, to identify invasive breast cancers, from Stage 1-4, with 98.5% accuracy. BreastDefense is being developed in both tissue and liquid biopsy versions.  SignPost was founded and is managed by Induran Ventures, a Venture Philanthropy General Partnership which strives to achieve both outsized returns and massive social impact through its projects.  For more information, please visit www.signpostcancerdx.com.

 

Forward Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements related to the development of our technology, our operations and business strategy, our expected financial results, and corporate updates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to substantial risks, uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed by these expectations due to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to review or update any forward-looking statement except as may be required by applicable law.

 

SignPost Cancer Dx Inc.

Peter Blaney

Chief Executive Officer

SignPost Cancer Dx Inc.

Tel: +1 613.532.1290

Email: peterblaney@induranventures.com

 

Investor Contact:

Jennifer K. Zimmons, Ph.D.

Investor Relations

Zimmons International Communications
Tel: +1 917.214.3514

Email: jzimmons@zimmonsic.com

 Source: SignPost Cancer Dx Inc.

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Season’s Greetings from SignPost

Dear Friends,

As the holiday season begins, we hope that this update finds you and your family safe and healthy.  With 2020 coming to a close, we wanted to take the time to review several positive milestones, advancements, and achievements as well as highlight new opportunities that are on the horizon for 2021.

The summary below reviews the highlights, turning points, and milestones of 2020.

1.   Hired US Investor Relations Professional

To increase corporate visibility, SignPost engaged Zimmons International Communications, Inc. (ZIC). Jennifer K. Zimmons, PhD specializes in working with emerging companies and focuses on communications and corporate outreach to family offices, high net-worth investors, and boutique healthcare funds.  Dr. Zimmons is also the Chair of the Program Committee for Women in Bio (New York).  Over the summer and into the fall, ZIC has been involved with: arranging introductions to various types of family offices, boutique investors, and strategic parties; creating various investor materials and press releases; and identifying presentation opportunities for SignPost to highlight the company and its science.

    i.       Featured Speaker and Presenter at Women In Bio’s October  Breast Cancer Awareness Panel

In October, SignPost was featured in Women In Bio’s (WIB) online event entitled “Females Pioneering Accurate Breast Cancer Detection and Innovative Ways of Healing”.  WIB is an international group with over 10,000 members committed to highlighting females in the life sciences and in companies’ instrumental in supporting women’s health.

ii.        Women of Influence and Strategic Introductions

As we round out the year, we remain focused on identifying women of influence in the investment and healthcare areas.  Based on recent outreach efforts, we feel individuals with the aforementioned profile are ideally positioned to be supporters for BreastDefense and for investment and board positions.

 

2.   Filed Provisional Patent

In July 2020, SignPost filed its provisional patent for the company’s lead diagnostic test – BreastDefense.  The patent is for the DNA Methylation Multivariate Biomarkers offering 98.5% specificity and sensitivity (false positives and false negatives).  Having the provisional patent in place is a very significant milestone for SignPost. The provisional patent allows SignPost to more openly share critical information with development partners, investors, and strategic entities.

 

3.   The Cancer Screening Marketplace

The cancer screening marketplace saw some big deals this year.

Earlier in September, the biotech firm, Illumina, announced it will buy back cancer-detection start-up GRAIL, Inc.  in an $8 billion deal.  GRAIL is developing a blood-based cancer test called Galleri™, a medical test that can detect dozens of types of cancer.  While GRAIL is developing a “pan-cancer diagnostic”, from published reports, we believe SignPost has developed a more accurate test specifically for breast cancer where our specificity and sensitivity is better than 98.5%.

In late October 2020, Exact Sciences (Nasdaq: EXAS) announced the intention to buy Thrive Earlier Detection, a private blood-based, multi-cancer screening company.  The transaction was comprised of cash and stock consideration of up to $2.15 billion.

4.   Why Companies Such as SignPost are Critical to Advancing Cancer Treatment Therapies

Dr. Azra Raza talks with Dr. Peter Attia about her new book The Cell in the following podcast.  Take a listen as Dr. Raza discusses the content of her book which takes a critical look at survival rates of cancer for patients (a study of novel cancer treatment outcomes from 2000 to 2016 only increased survival by 2.4 months!)  and why early detection is the way forward. It is a fascinating podcast.  The key times discussing early detection are at 29min-31min and 1hr:24min -1hr:40min.

In closing, we want to thank you for your continued interest in SignPost.  As you can see, there are many opportunities that we look forward to exploring in 2021.  We wish the best in safety and health for you and your family during this holiday season.

Peter Blaney
Chief Executive Officer
SignPost Cancer Dx Inc.
Tel: +1 613.532.1290
E: peterblaney@induranventures.com

Investor and Press Contact:
Jennifer K. Zimmons, Ph.D.
Investor Relations
Zimmons International Communications
Tel: +1 917.214.3514
Email: jzimmons@zimmonsic.com

Source: SignPost Cancer Dx Inc.
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Why Early Detection is Critical to Extending Life for Cancer Patients.

Take a listen to Peter Attias interview with Dr. Raza .

Peter Attia is a Canadian-American physician of Egyptian descent known for his medical practice that focuses on the science of longevity. He is also the first person to make the round-trip swim from Maui and Lanai.

Dr. Azra Raza is a physician, scientist, author, and outspoken advocate for reconfiguring the current model of research in cancer. In this episode, Azra discusses the content of her book, The First Cell, which takes a critical look at the outdated models being used to study cancer resulting in a lack of progress in survival rates for cancer patients. Azra offers a solution which focuses on early detection and prevention, and she concludes with an optimistic outlook for the future of cancer research.

If you have limited time the early detection discussion is at 29min and 1.22min in. However the entire interview is fascinating.

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The Conspiracy of Hope

Renée Pellerin is a former CBC health journalist and the author of Conspiracy of Hope, The Truth About Breast Cancer Screening, published by Goose Lane Editions. Below is an except from her article in the Globe and Mail responding to the new  guidelines published by the Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care for breast cancer screening.

“Every woman over 40 should be aware of new Canadian breast screening guidelines. Every family physician should be prepared to discuss those guidelines with their patients. Every provincial breast screening program should take a good, hard look at what it is telling women.

One of the main harms of screening is false positive results, which can lead to unnecessary further tests including biopsies and the anxiety resulting from being labelled as having cancer. The task force analysis is that false positive results occur in between 20 and 30 per cent of all women screened over seven years.

The other main harm is over-diagnosis, not to be confused with a false positive. It’s when a mammogram detects real cancer, but it’s one that does not grow, one that a woman will never feel, will never cause a problem. There is no way to know which screen-detected lesion will behave this way, thus it is always involves surgery and possible additional treatment.

A Canadian screening trial estimated that up to 50 per cent of screen-detected breast cancers in women under 50 were over diagnosed. The number of cases in older women were fewer, but still high. So while screening may discover early cancers that are more easily treated, it may also discover cancers that may be treated unnecessarily.

Yet, how many women and their doctors understand that the benefits of screening are limited, while the risk of over-diagnosis resulting in over treatment is significant?”

Here is the link to the full text from the Globe and Mail on December 11, 2018.
Here is the link to the book Conspiracy of Hope.

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The Difficulties of Diagnosing Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Dr Kathy D. Miller of Indianan University explains in this video the difficulty in diagnosing inflammatory breast cancer.

Dr. Miller describes a common scenario among doctors diagnosing inflammatory breast cancer. Currently there is no clear answer, as the quote below describes a patients symptoms and the varying opinions of the team of doctors.

“The patient had been seen by a medical oncologist, a surgeon, and a radiation oncologist. We had a big discussion—really, an argument—over whether this woman had inflammatory breast cancer. Was the bogginess in her breast just localized swelling because of her extensive nodal disease? Was that sufficient to decide that this was inflammatory? Was the pinkness over enough of the breast or was it only over the area of the tumor, and [could that just have been] direct extension?”

Inflammatory disease is very much in the eyes of the beholder.

BreastDefense can take the guess work out for all invasive breast cancers. Dr. Miller explains that they are doing a study that will determine a definition and criteria for inflammatory breast cancer. BreastDefense goes far beyond  “definition” to a test that will aim for 99% accuracy in diagnosing not only inflammatory breast cancer but all other invasive breast cancers.

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The Value of Molecular Diagnostics

To better understand the technology that BreastDefense is using, a report byAdvaMedDxgives is a very good overview of the molecular diagnostic field.

“The introduction and expanding use of molecular diagnostic tests to detect cancer and manage cancer care mark a major milestone and herald future progress in the fight against this disease – begins the report by AdvaMedDx a trade association that leads the effort to advance medical technology.

Advances in diagnostics technologies and in our fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of cancer at a molecular level are driving the development of new treatments and diagnostic tests.

Molecular diagnostics can assess a person’s risk of developing a disease, determine whether a person is a carrier of a hereditary condition, screen for diseases that are present but not yet symptomatic, provide a diagnosis of existing symptoms, or monitor how a patient is responding to treatments.

The brief report is intended to concisely summarize the complex science underlying the use of molecular diagnostics, particularly genetic tests, and their application in cancer screening, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment selection, and monitoring.

The specific and actionable insights that molecular diagnostics provide at every stage of care make them one of the most dynamic and transformative areas of diagnostics health care. “

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Breast Biopsies – are not always accurate

The video The Pathology of Errors is about the consequences of a inaccurate image reading. Since treatment is based on the diagnosis of the pathologists report, it is critical that the diagnosis is correct. It is now recommended that women seek second opinions when given a diagnosis of breast cancer. This video is a good overview of what can happen.

When a suspicious lump is found on a mammogram, women are sent for a tissue biopsy. But sometimes the pathologist has difficulty determining if cancer is present. As with mammography, the images under the microscope can be inconclusive. In these instances many pathologists will get a second opinion from another pathologist.

BreastDefense does not rely on images.  By measuring these suspicious tissues at the molecular level, BreastDefense will be able to answer the question is it cancer or is it benign from stage 1 thru 4 with 99% accuracy, for both false positives and false negatives. It can give the pathologist a clear answer, cancer or no cancer.

Here is an abstract on a study done in 2015 to quantify the magnitude of diagnostic disagreement among pathologists.

Diagnostic Concordance Among Pathologists Interpreting Breast Biopsy Specimens

The actual error rate for pathologists is unknown.  The time has certainly come for more studies in this area.

 

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40 over 40

40% of Women Over 40 Have Dense Breasts.

Why does this matter?

Fact
the denser the breast the higher the risk of getting breast cancer.

Fact
having dense breasts is a greater risk factor than having a family history of breast cancer.

Fact
mammograms miss about 50% of breast cancer in the densest breasts.

The above Facts come from the website dense breasts canada  Watch their video- it is very powerful.

EARLY DETECTION MATTERS

Dense breasts are normal and common. 40% of women over the age 40 have dense breasts.

Dense breasts make it harder for radiologists viewing your mammogram to spot cancer because dense breast tissue shows up as white and so does a cancerous tumour.

Ask your doctor if you have dense breasts.