Dx Deals: New Deal Expands Reach of Oral Cancer Test to Dental Practices

Most laboratory tests for detecting or predicting cancer are the province of hospitals, medical offices, and clinics. But a new collaboration between Viome Life Sciences and equipment supplier Henry Schein may extend the reach of such tests to a new clinical setting: Dental offices.

The two companies recently struck a deal to provide Viome’s Oral Health Pro™ With CancerDetect™ at dental offices to potentially screen patients for oral and throat cancers.¹ The Bellevue, Washington-based Viome is a startup. Although it was initially backed by SquareOne Capital, it raised $86.5 million last year from Khosla Ventures and BOLD Capital Partners to expand its business. In addition to the cancer test, Viome also has a test of patient gut health that helps determine recommendations for nutritional supplements. The startup struck a deal last year with CVS Health to place its tests in CVS’s nationwide network of retail pharmacies.²

By contrast, the Melville, New York-based Henry Schein is a giant in the medical and dental supply arena, with 2023 revenue of $12.3 billion.³

Viome’s laboratory-developed test for oral cancer is fairly straightforward, relying on a saliva sample to determine if the patient has any early biomarkers that suggest oral cancer might be present or is at a risk of developing in the future. The sample is then sent back to Viome’s laboratory for testing. The results are posted on a portal both accessible to the clinician and the patient. Viome claims the test can determine if a patient is cancer-free with about 95 percent accuracy.

Oral health has long been linked to medical issues, including heart disease, some respiratory illnesses, and even complications in pregnancy.⁴ However, there have been few initiatives linking the work of medicine and dentistry together.

“The traditional approach to oral care has been predominantly reliant on visual and tactile examinations. With new research and technology, we can now better understand the risks for oral health diseases and better detect the onset of oral and throat cancer,” said Viome chief dental officer Ed Zuckerberg in a statement. “Oral Health Pro…can help change oral healthcare for both patients and medical professionals who never had access to this type of test.”¹

Henry Schein vice president and chief innovation officer Bruce Lieberthal said in the same statement that his company’s vision “is to help lead a transformation where oral care prioritizes prevention, focusing on the patient’s health and well-being in and outside dental and medical offices. This is a pivotal step in redefining the current standard of care, where early action and prevention lead to a healthier society.”¹

Dentists—who unlike physicians rely heavily on patients paying out-of-pocket for procedures and services—will likely offer the test as an add-on service to patients at an extra charge. Henry Schein currently sells COVID-19 tests to dentists, a company spokesperson told G2 Intelligence.

The specific terms of the deal between the two companies have not been disclosed, although a Henry Schein spokesperson said the company was distributing the collection kit for the test only, and not the test itself.

Viome chief executive officer Naveen Jain did not respond to a query seeking more details about the deal, the cost of the test, or whether it is covered by insurers.

References:

1. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viome-is-partnering-with-henry-schein-to-provide-better-access-to-oral-health-pro-with-cancerdetect-302105911.html
2. https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/18/viome-a-microbiome-startup-raises-86-5m-inks-distribution-deal-with-cvs/
3. https://investor.henryschein.com/news-releases/news-release-details/henry-schein-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2023-financial
4. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/dental/art-20047475

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Other recent mergers, collaborations, or alliances in the laboratory sector include:

Mergers and Acquisitions

Strategic Alliances

Government Contracts

None announced during the period.