Syantra and Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio collaborate on clinical studies with new funding award

New collaboration and funding to expand clinical evidence for Syantra's patent-pending Onco-ID™ cancer detection platform

CALGARY, AB, Feb. 26, 2025 /CNW/ - Syantra, Inc., a precision biotechnology company revolutionizing cancer detection, today announced that it has received funding from Alberta Innovates to support expanded clinical studies for investigating the Onco-ID™: Breast blood test in women at elevated risk of breast cancer.

The funding from Alberta Innovates AICE (Accelerating Innovations into CarE) Market Access program will both complement recent funding by the United States Department of Defense and support a pilot study with Jessica Treviño Jones, MD, of the Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio).

"We are honored to receive both the funding and the recognition that comes with the AICE award," said Syantra CEO, Rob Lozuk. "We look forward to leveraging our science with the support of this transformative grant to improve early cancer detection."

The AICE funding will support critical work for FDA filings and Syantra's move into the US market. This includes expanding clinical validation data for women with dense breast tissue and other risk factors and generating pilot data on the use of the test. 

"Syantra is another example of Alberta's innovators striving to solve real world challenges. Working with international partners to enable the early detection of breast cancer through the use of their blood test and facility here in Calgary is a compelling demonstration of the way we generate impact," said Tim Murphy, Vice President, Health, Alberta Innovates. 

Syantra will be working in collaboration with Dr. Jones, an associate professor and breast medical oncologist in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at UT Health San Antonio. She is also the founder and director of Mays Cancer Center's Cancer Risk Reduction and Education Clinic.

"I am excited to be working on this project with Dr. Jones who is on the front-lines of breast cancer screening, and working towards early detection and treatment. This two-year project will recruit 500 new participants into the clinical validation study for the Onco-ID blood test for breast screening to complement existing global recruitment. The project will also support a pilot study on use of the test in women at elevated risk of developing breast cancer. This will enable collection of data to help inform positioning for commercial use," said Kristina Rinker, PhD, PEng, Syantra co-founder and project lead.

"With recognition by AICE, the grant from the DoD, and formation of our new Scientific Advisory Board, Syantra is getting closer to market entry for Onco-ID, our patent-pending platform that leans into the body's own immune system, identifying the presence of early-stage cancer," said Lozuk. "We look forward to 2025 being a monumental year for Syantra."

About Syantra
Founded by a Calgary-based team of innovators in biomedical engineering and medicine and supported by world-leading clinicians, Syantra Inc. is a privately held, precision biotechnology company pioneering a platform to change the way cancer is detected and managed. For more information, visit https://www.syantra.com, or contact [email protected].

SOURCE Syantra Inc.