FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Namida Lab, the world leader in tear-based diagnostics, today announced the launch of Auria™, a first-of-its-kind breast health assessment test. Backed by physicians and more than a decade of research and clinical trials, Auria™ is now available for women, ages 33-85 with an average risk of developing breast cancer, regardless of their breast tissue density, to encourage breast health screening. Auria™ identifies protein biomarkers related to breast abnormalities through the power of tears.
Currently, 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer throughout their lifetime. National mammography screening programs have sufficiently reduced breast cancer-related mortality. However, only 50% of women eligible for screening comply, with those under the age of 45 struggling the most to meet the yearly recommendations. Namida Lab is bringing a resource to market that lowers the screening barriers and increases education and support around breast health.
“With Auria™, the idea is to more broadly apply the technology so that we can screen more people. The easiest, most straightforward way of changing the course of the disease is to find it early,” says Dr. Steve Harms, an internationally recognized breast imaging specialist.
The Auria™ at-home test provides a personalized score and classification which corresponds to a level of urgency on when to schedule a screening mammogram. Auria customers also have the unique opportunity to schedule a one-on-one consultation with a breast health specialist to review their test results and ask any questions they may have related to their overall breast health. The goal is to encourage customers to take control of their breast health.
The inventor of Auria™, Dr. Anna Daily, an expert in protein biochemistry with numerous peer-reviewed publications and patents on tear-based diagnostic development said, “This technology has taken over a decade of research, development, and clinical studies made possible through collaborations with comprehensive breast health and cancer centers across the US. Identifying proteins related to breast abnormalities is only the beginning. Information from the community of Auria™ customers will lay the groundwork for personalized breast health intelligence, leading to optimized diagnostic thresholds, as well as the potential for breast cancer diagnostic tests utilizing tears.”
The COVID-19 pandemic caused broad disruptions in breast care, reducing mammography screening, and resulting in unknown impacts on long-term breast cancer mortality. In alignment with the current White House cancer panel recommendations, Namida Lab remains focused on increasing access to self-sampling for cancer screening.
“The team at Namida Lab has been working through the pandemic to bring Auria™ to market, to provide a means of assessing one’s breast health conveniently at home. Successful clinical testing of Auria™ has allowed us to expand our vision to develop widely accessible, inexpensive, and accurate tests for other cancers,” says Omid Moghadam, CEO, and co-founder of Namida Lab, Inc.
Auria is available for purchase online at https://auria.care/. As part of the purchase, customers are invited to set up their personalized breast health dashboard. The Auria™ kit provides material and instructions for at-home tear sample collection. After collection, the included return packaging allows for timely delivery of the sample to be tested at Namida’s high-complexity CLIA lab. The physician-reviewed results are delivered to the customer’s online dashboard, where they are encouraged to request a consultation with a breast health specialist.
Auria™ is not a diagnostic test for breast cancer and is not intended to replace a screening mammogram. Auria is a high complexity, lab-developed test (LDT) that has been developed and validated following rigorous precision, accuracy, and validity standards set forth by CLIA and is available by prescription only. In addition to a certified high-complexity CLIA lab, Namida Lab also offers access to a nationwide physician network.
About Namida Lab
Namida Lab Inc. is a product-stage biotechnology company specializing in the development and commercialization of proteomics tests. Namida operates a high complexity CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) certified lab in addition to a Research & Development Lab to create and validate screening and diagnostic tools utilizing the untapped power of tears. Focusing on the oncology space, covering screening and diagnostics, their team consists of prominent scientists and industry professionals to improve diagnostic testing and patient outcomes.
