X-ZELL is a global biotechnology company aiming to fundamentally reshuffle the way of diagnosing and managing one of the most pressing health issues of the time – cancer (lat. Carcinoma). The company was founded in 2014 in Singapore. Ranked among Asia’s 20 most innovative health technology start-ups, X-ZELL has developed a new platform technology capable of detecting tumour-derived Circulating Endothelial Cells (tCEC) in a small, 10mL blood sample. Long considered ‘undetectable’ in clinical routine, these ultra-rare cells help physicians diagnose clinically significant cancer early when it can be cured – in turn avoiding more than 70% of unnecessary interventions and saving billions to health systems worldwide.

X-ZELL’s research revolves around the detection of tumour-derived Circulating Endothelial Cells (tCEC), a new type of biomarker that can not only pinpoint earliest-stage cancers, but also distinguish between aggressive and non-aggressive disease. tCEC are responsible for the development of X-ZELL’s world-unique rare cell detection technology and could hold the key to achieving X-ZELL’s bold vision of reducing the death toll caused by undetected cancer to zero.

Putting this novel technology to the test, X-ZELL has developed a liquid biopsy capable of confirming the presence or absence of clinically significant prostate cancer (lat. Prostate Carcinoma) by detecting tumour-derived Circulating Endothelial Cells (tCEC) – a biomarker that was considered undetectable in clinical routine until X-ZELL’s modular platform technology changed the game. 

Designed specifically for high-risk patients (see below), X-ZELL Prostate™ the first in a series of tCEC-based liquid biopsies that will come to market over the coming years and could enable population-based screening at a level previously considered unthinkable. Furthermore, it’s the first in a series of blood tests that will be able not only to detect the clinically significant disease early but in a pain-free way and with unparalleled accuracy.

At the same time, X-ZELL has managed to bring the underlying platform technology from prototype stage to series production, with a global product launch slated for 26-28 March 2019 at the MEDLAB Asia Pacific show in Singapore. In addition, the company also designed the world’s first slide-based, 9-colour immunostaining system - the all-new X-ZELL Cryoimmunostaining™ Suite.