Melbourne-headquartered Sienna Cancer Diagnostics Ltd (ASX:SDX) has appointed Zotal Ltd as its exclusive distributor in Israel.
The distribution agreement provides Zotal with the right to sell Sienna’s hTERT IVD to pathology laboratories where it will be used to assist in the diagnosis of bladder cancer.
Sienna’s Business Development Manager, Minesh Lalla, said that with a population of approximately nine million and an elderly demographic, Israel has become known as the MedTech hub of the Middle East and the medical device market in Israel is estimated to be worth ~US$2.4 billion.
Mr Lalla said that over the past few months Sienna has managed to secure distribution channels in multiple regions across the globe. Israel is our third distributor appointment in 2020 to date.
“Israel’s IVD market has gained significant momentum over recent years.
“The Zotal team has the experience to promote and sell our current product, hTERT, as well as future products in our development pipeline.”
Zotal, Sienna’s first distributor appointment in the region, is a leading provider of high-quality, state-of-the-art products for the medical and life sciences market in Israel, selling and supporting products in diverse environments including life science research laboratories, fertility clinics and clinical diagnostic laboratories.
Sienna becomes the latest exclusive distribution partner for Zotal, joining companies such as BMG LABTECH, Abcam PLC and THERADIAG.
Head of Personalised and Predictive Medicine of Zotal, Dana Cohen said the company has a special focus on innovative products to improve the standard of diagnosis.
“Sienna’s hTERT test complements our personalised medicine product portfolio to serve our clinical and research community.
“We are excited to partner with Sienna in Israel and anticipate a unique opportunity for the hTERT biomarker in routine care, assisting pathologists and urologists in the diagnosis of bladder cancer.”
Dr Tal Zohar, CEO of Zotal, said Sienna and Zotal will now focus on the product registration and reimbursement applications with the Department of Medical Devices, Ministry of Health (MOH), in Israel, which is expected to take approximately six months.
The public healthcare market is constantly seeking simple and more accurate diagnostic tools to increase the sensitivity and early detection of urothelial carcinoma as a first line diagnosis. We see the hTERT test fitting this profile perfectly,” Dr Zohar said.
In addition to providing regulatory support, Sienna will provide sales, marketing, and technical training to Zotal staff, while Zotal will source several reference laboratories to assist in the adoption of the test in Israel. This process is vital for unique products such as hTERT which require time to educate the market before initial market adoption occurs.