OncoMark, a University College Dublin (UCD) spin-out company, has secured €2.1 million to fund the commercialisation of its lead product, OncoMasTR, which it plans to launch in mid-2018.

OncoMasTR is a novel prognostic test for early-stage breast cancer that will reduce the number of breast cancer patients receiving unnecessary chemotherapy. The test is based on a panel of genetic ‘drivers’ of breast cancer.

OncoMark was previously awarded €2.7 million, through the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 2, to clinically validate the OncoMasTR test. This new funding round will allow the translation of the test from clinical validation to regulatory approval and full commercialisation. The latest funding round included; Kernel Capital, through the Bank of Ireland Kernel Capital Venture Funds, the Irrus Investments syndicate, the Galway HBAN MedTech syndicate, private investors and Enterprise Ireland.

OncoMark was co-founded by Prof William Gallagher and Steve Penney as a spin-out from UCD’s School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science.