Pioneering Saliva-Based Multiomic Platform to Transform Early Oral Cancer Detection
Posted on 17 Jun 2025
Head and neck cancers are the sixth most common. Yet, over 60% of cases are detected late, with late-stage oral cancer detection surging by more than 1.5X in the last two decades. The current standard of care for oral cancer involves visual inspection, which often leads to only 20% of cases being successfully identified, resulting in hundreds of thousands of unnecessary surgical biopsies. Now, a breakthrough technology is harnessing the power of salivary diagnostics to transform early detection and prevention of oral cancer.
OrisDX (Chicago, IL, USA) has developed a multiomic salivary diagnostic platform that uses non-invasive saliva samples and next-generation sequencing combined with proprietary algorithms to rapidly and accurately detect genetic biomarkers, setting a new standard in precision diagnostics. The company is now preparing for the commercial launch of its saliva-based multiomic platform, with its first indication for early oral cancer detection. Existing tests are based on indirect tools to detect oral cancer, either as light-based, brush tests, or singular biomarker solutions. The OrisDX test is a simple, non-invasive oral rinse that delivers 93% sensitivity and 99% specificity. This groundbreaking accuracy significantly outperforms the current standard of care for oral cancer.
Built on proprietary molecular technology, it enables earlier, more accurate diagnosis and replaces the uncertainty of visual inspection and invasive biopsies. In addition to screening patients at high risk of developing cancer, the tool enables physicians to assess patient response to treatment in real-time and adjust the course as needed. Head and neck cancers are known for high recurrence, especially during the first two years after treatment, so it is important to continue with regular testing, which the OrisDX test makes easier. The commercial rollout of OrisDX’s diagnostic platform will be across dental, oncology, and medical channels.
“OrisDX was built upon the first generation of blood-based liquid biopsy pioneers with an intense focus on the multiomics of the next frontier, salivaomics,” said Harald Steltzer, CEO of OrisDX. “The easy, pain-free collection of saliva offers the broadest opportunity for patients to provide samples at the convenience of a clinic or home.”
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