Proteomics bags Chinese patent for innovative muscle stress test
Developed alongside The University of Western Australia, OxiDx Limited's technology uses a quick, low-cost fingerprick blood test to track muscle damage caused by oxidative stress in elite athletes and thoroughbred racehorses.
Oxidative stress is caused by an overload of toxic oxidants - known as free radicals, which start to overpower the body's natural defences, throwing the system off balance. It is also linked to more than 70 different human health conditions.
The test can be done anywhere, from a lab at home or on the track to deliver instant feedback that can help manage training, injury recovery and even early intervention for chronic health issues such as cancer and diabetes.
Muscle injuries account for up to 55 per cent of all sports injuries in professional athletes. The horse racing industry fares even worse, with 85 per cent of thoroughbreds suffering at least one injury by the time they finish their second racing season.
Proteomics says the freshly granted Chinese patent effectively future proofs the company's competitive advantage in Asia and remains valid until 2039.
The commercial potential of the test appears enormous, particularly in a performance-obsessed market like China, where sports science, wellness, and elite horse racing are all booming.
The new patent has also added serious firepower to OxiDx's global intellectual property footprint, which already covers the US, Japan, Europe and Australia. Second-generation protections are still in the pipeline for key markets such as Singapore, India and a fresh round in the US.
Proteomics lit up the diagnostics scene in December when its OxiDx test holed out a proof-of-concept trial, tracking muscle damage and recovery in elite marathon runners with pinpoint accuracy.
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