Singapore-based startup Mirxes has announce that its fully-owned subsidiary, Mirxes Japan, has secured a grant of up to 20 million yen (S$172,000) from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). This grant is a testament of Mirxes Japan’s effort and growth in Japan, and will support the development and validation of a new non-invasive cancer biomarker screening test service specifically for the Japanese market.

The grant comes from JETRO's 'Subsidy for Projects to Stimulate Direct Investment in Japan' programme, which aims to assist foreign and foreign-affiliated companies in introducing and developing innovative technologies and business models within Japan. 

Mirxes Japan's project, titled 'Project to Develop and Validate a Novel Non-invasive Cancer Biomarker Screening Test Service in Japan', will involve collaboration with Nagawa Pharmaceutical Co. and has a budget of 45 million yen.

The project aims to introduce Mirxes' RNA technology to Japanese laboratories and increase the number of Japanese patients who can access the tests, which include the startup's flagship stomach cancer early detection test GastroClear, and LungClear.

GastroClear is CE marked in the EU (2017) and has been approved for in-vitro diagnostic use in Singapore by the Health Science Authority (HSA) since 2019, while LungClear had conducted domestic verification in Japan (2021-2022) and the results was presented at the 63rd Japan Lung Cancer Society Scientific Meeting in 2022.

The JETRO grant will cover the costs associated with setting up testing facilities, transferring testing technology to Japan, and evaluating and verifying the technology's effectiveness. This project has the potential to significantly improve early cancer detection rates in Japan, leading to reduced cancer mortality rates and treatment costs.