Breast Cancer Early Detection Blood Test 'MASTOCHECK^TM'

Expands to 7 Countries in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East

-        Bertis Signs Co-promotion and Distributorship Agreement for MASTOCHECK^TM with SaudiVax During the State Visit of the President of South Korea to Saudi Arabia

-       CEO Seung-Man Han stated, "Due to the high demand for the blood test method and the presence of a nationally led medical delivery system in the region, we are committed to establishing a stable testing delivery system."

On October 30th, Bertis, a company specializing in the development of proteomics-based precision medicine technology (led by CEOs Dong-young Noh and Seung-man Han), announced that it has entered into a co-promotion and distributorship agreement for its early breast cancer detection blood test, MASTOCHECK^TM, with the Saudi biotechnology firm, SaudiVax Inc., in Saudi Arabia.

Through this agreement, SaudiVax will be responsible for sales and marketing of MASTOCHECK in seven countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait. They will also manage the collection and delivery of blood samples for testing in medical institutions within those countries. Bertis will conduct the samples analysis and deliver the test results. Additionally, Bertis will provide necessary support for MASTOCHECK sales and marketing, including handling regulatory approvals, marketing, medical staff training, and patient information dissemination.

In addition, this agreement was signed on the occasion of the state visit of the President of South Korea to Saudi Arabia from the 21st to the 24th, as well as the visit of the South Korean business delegation. Through this agreement, the two parties have agreed to simultaneously launch Bertis' developed products, including blood tests for early detection of pancreatic cancer, in seven Middle Eastern countries alongside their domestic commercialization.

SaudiVax is a joint venture between a Saudi Arabian healthcare company UYC, and U.S.-based PnuVax, which supplies biologics to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and countries within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Furthermore, the company is actively supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 project, a comprehensive initiative led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at economic diversification, global engagement, and enhanced quality of life. The company is dedicated to fostering the establishment of the life sciences industry within Saudi Arabia as part of this broader effort.

Dr. Mazen Hassanain, co-founder and managing director of SaudiVax, stated, "Blood-based cancer screening tests are considered advanced technology that aligns with Saudi Arabia's goals in the health sector, including improving healthcare accessibility, through the Saudi Vision 2030 project. It is expected to contribute to the enhancement of public health and the development of biotechnology” he added, “We are committed to making our best efforts to facilitate the introduction of MASTOCHECK based on our supply system and expertise, ensuring that patients in need of MASTOCHECK can undergo testing smoothly."

Seung-Man Han, the CEO of Bertis, stated, “Due to the gap in medical services accessibility among regions and factors related to religious and cultural differences, there is a high demand for early blood-based cancer diagnostic tests in key Middle Eastern countries. Introducing MASTOCHECK to these countries is a positive step forward.” He further mentioned, “As these countries take the lead in providing medical services, we expect the testing process to be activated rapidly from the early stages. We are going to put the best effort to establish a stable testing delivery system to ensure reliable test services for the patients.”

MASTOCHECK is a blood test method that allows for convenient early screening of breast cancer. It quantitatively measures three specific protein biomarkers closely associated with breast cancer within the blood. The quantified biomarkers’ values are then analyzed using a patented proprietary algorithm to enable early detection of breast cancer. Bertis is currently developing early screening blood tests for pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer as part of their follow-up pipeline. For pancreatic cancer early diagnostic solution, the product development has been completed including marker panels, algorithms, IVD software, and reagents. Currently the product is going through confirmatory clinical trial. Regarding ovarian cancer, the marker panel development has been completed and are planning clinical trials for algorithm enhancement.