Precision in Prevention: How Predica Diagnostics Is Transforming Cervical Cancer Screening

Early cancer detection saves lives. That belief sits at the heart of Predica Diagnostics, a spin-off from RadboudUMC, whose mission is to revolutionize how we detect and respond to cervical cancer risk. Led by seasoned molecular biologist and life science executive Marco de Boer, the company is introducing smarter diagnostics that aim not only to save lives—but also to reduce unnecessary anxiety and overtreatment in women’s health.

“A family member of mine died of metastatic cancer,” shares Marco. “It is my mission to develop products for early cancer detection and give cancer patients a higher chance of survival and better quality of life to contribute to better patient treatment and care.”

Smarter Screening with CervicaDx

Predica Diagnostics’ mission is to develop and market reliable and commercially viable IVD tests that contribute to early cancer detection and improve treatment efficiency in oncology. Predica will accomplish this goal in close collaboration with centralized laboratories, doctors and other stakeholders. Predica’s flagship product, CervicaDx, is a non-invasive diagnostic test that identifies cervical abnormalities in women who are at risk of developing cervical cancer. While current screening programs catch many cases early, they also frequently result in overdiagnosis—especially for women who test positive for Human Papillomaviruses, HPV, but are otherwise healthy.

CervicaDx helps bridge that gap. By reliably distinguishing which HPV+ women actually require gynecological follow-up, the test reduces unnecessary referrals and streamlines the overall screening process.

“CervicaDx will prevent overdiagnosis of women participating in population-based cervical cancer screening programs,” explains Marco. “It takes away unnecessary worries of HPV+ tested but healthy women and reliably identifies the ones who truly need a referral to a gynecologist.”

In the future, their dedicated cancer tests, all based on their proprietary platform technology, will guide oncologists in decision-making for the most effective, patient-specific treatment protocol.

Tackling a Global Health Burden

Each year, over 600,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with cervical cancer. The need for more targeted, personalized approaches to screening is pressing. Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with high-risk HPV genotypes, but not all infections lead to cancer. Understanding which ones will—at an early stage—can make all the difference.

Predica is addressing this complexity with a proprietary platform technology, laying the foundation for a series of future diagnostic tools aimed at improving outcomes across women’s health.

“Our mission is to develop and market reliable and commercially viable In vitro diagnostics tests that contribute to early cancer detection and improve treatment efficiency in oncology,” says Marco. “We work closely with centralized laboratories, doctors and other stakeholders to achieve this.”

Innovation Through HPV Profiling

Among the company’s most recent breakthroughs is the HPV Profiler, a powerful assay that leverages next-generation sequencing (NGS) to deliver in-depth insights into HPV infection.

The profiler detects and differentiates 20 high- and low-risk HPV genotypes from DNA samples in a single run. When used with cDNA samples, it goes a step further—quantifying the transcriptional activity of key viral oncogenes (E2, E6, E7 and E6* splice variant) to determine whether the infection is active or latent.

“Designed for researchers, the HPV Profiler provides a deeper understanding of HPV status and biology, to drive more informed diagnostics,” Marco explains.

More info: HPV Profiler — Predica Diagnostics

What’s Next: A Future Powered by NGS

Predica sees the field of diagnostics rapidly evolving and intends to beat the forefront of that shift.

“Molecular biology and next-generation sequencing will become part ofgeneral diagnostic testing,” Marco predicts. “The Predica Diagnosticsplatform will enable this.”

The company is already preparing to expand its portfolio with diagnostic solutions for other women’s health conditions, using the same platform that underpins CervicaDx and the HPV Profiler.

The Co-Founders

Marco de Boer contributes his experience in the development and marketing of Predica’s products. Marco has held several management positions: CEO at NTrans Technologies BV, COO at Crossbeta Biosciences BV, Head of Research at to-BBB, Head of Bioprocessing at Kerry I&F, Director Biomolecules at Isogen Life Science, and Research Manager at Unilever Research, Vlaardingen. Marco received an MBA from the Nyenrode Business University. 

‍The Value of Persistence—and Partnership

For aspiring entrepreneurs entering the field of health diagnostics, Marco’s advice is both candid and motivational: “Listen to advisors, but follow your heart and never give up.”‍

‍

About joining Tech4Eva

For Predica Diagnostics, joining the Tech4Eva accelerator is part of that journey—one that blends expert support with broader impact. “Tech4Eva will enhance our network and will allow us to collaborate with companies that shape a better future for Women’s Health,” says Marco.

‍

Dr. William Leenders, CSO, is the inventor of the CiRNAseq technique. He has a strong background in chemistry, biochemistry, pathophysiology, molecular biology and cell biology, and has been active as a cancer researcher and staff member in the Radboudumc (depts of Pathology and Biochemistry) for over 25 years, from 2012 - 2023 as an associate professor.”

‍

‍

‍

‍

More info on the company: https://www.predica-diagnostics.com/

Scientific Publications: https://www.predica-diagnostics.com/publications