Burning Rock Announces the Launch of China’s First Prospective Interventional Validation Study on Multi-Cancer Early Detection - the PREVENT Study


CHENGDU, China, June 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Burning Rock Biotech Limited (NASDAQ: BNR, the “Company” or “Burning Rock”), a company focused on the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the field of precision oncology, today announced the launch of the PREVENT (a Prospective multi-canceR Early-detection and interVENTional) study, China’s first prospective interventional study to evaluate the performance of Burning Rock's early cancer detection test, OverC™, in the asymptomatic population. The study is expected to enroll 12,500 asymptomatic individuals, to evaluate the performance of the OverC™ test in detecting 6 cancers (lung, liver, colorectal, esophageal, pancreatic and ovarian cancers). These 6 cancer types cover approximately 50% of China's total cancer incidence, and 62% of cancer mortality1.

The study is led by Dr. Weimin Li, head of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. "Cancer early detection, diagnosis and treatment is the key to reducing cancer burden. We strive to prompt both our research and clinical practice on cancer prevention, screening and treatment. There is a lot more work that needs to be done, to develop more convenient and standardized means, and to build a nation-wide system to increase the accessibility and compliance of cancer early detection. This focus follows the central government's policy directive on addressing China's increasing cancer burden as well as a strong unmet need of the Chinese population." said Dr. Li. "The PREVENT study is at the cutting edge of cancer early detection and management. Our hope is that the study can help bring changes to the current cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment paradigm, allowing more cancer patients to be diagnosed at an earlier stage and therefore benefit from a higher chance of cure, longer survival and improved quality of life."

Yusheng Han, CEO of Burning Rock, remarked that "Multi-cancer early detection through liquid-biopsy is a strategic focus of Burning Rock. We have dedicated years of R&D efforts in understanding the science and developing the right technology. We are excited to bring a product into the stage of clinical validation in the intend-to-use population, which we view as a critical milestone in evaluating the feasibility, benefit, and cost-effectiveness of such a product."

The launch event is also joined by Dr. Qi Wang, head of the Dalian Medical University's Second Affiliate Hospital, Dr. Yang Jin, head of the Wuhan Union Hospital, and other physicians from the oncology, pathology, health check-up, medical research and other related departments.

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1 2018 China cancer registry annual report, J He et al., ISBN 978-7-117-28585-8

About West China Hospital of Sichuan University
Founded in 1892 and home to many of China's top physicians, WCH is a prestigious comprehensive hospital located in the city of Chengdu in western China. With 48 departments, WCH is one of the largest hospitals in China, having performed 196,000 surgeries and 7.8 million out-patient / ER services in 2021. It ranks #2 on the Best Hospital in China Rankings (2009-2020) by Fudan University.

About Burning Rock

Burning Rock Biotech Limited (NASDAQ: BNR), whose mission is to guard life via science, focuses on the application of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the field of precision oncology. Its business consists of i) NGS-based therapy selection testing for late-stage cancer patients, and ii) cancer early detection, which has moved beyond proof-of-concept R&D into the clinical validation stage.

For more information about Burning Rock, please visit: ir.brbiotech.com.

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Contact: IR@brbiotech.com