Proteomics International Partners with Healius for Exclusive National Distribution of Promarker® Blood Tests

Overview of Proteomics International and Significance of the Distribution Agreement

Based in Western Australia and part of the PILL Group, Proteomics International Laboratories Ltd specialises in developing and commercialising the Promarker® portfolio of blood tests. The company operates accredited laboratory facilities and offers clinical reporting services focused on predictive and diagnostic blood testing. The Promarker® portfolio is the company’s flagship commercial product line, aimed at facilitating disease risk assessment and enabling early clinical intervention across various medical conditions.

The national distribution partnership with Healius signifies a pivotal commercial advancement for the Promarker® portfolio. Instead of investing heavily in creating its own nationwide pathology collection and distribution network, Proteomics International has aligned with Healius’ well-established pathology infrastructure to achieve broad market penetration. This strategy enables the company to concentrate on laboratory testing and clinical reporting expertise while leveraging Healius’ extensive distribution channels, practitioner relationships, and collection centre network to reach clinicians and patients throughout Australia.

Distribution Partnership Framework and Roles

The agreement clearly defines responsibilities to optimise operational efficiency. Proteomics International will continue conducting all testing within its accredited laboratories and provide clinical reports to healthcare professionals. The company retains full accountability for the Promarker® portfolio, including laboratory methodologies, clinical reporting standards, scientific and medical support, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance, ensuring consistent laboratory standards and clinical governance.

Healius, as the exclusive pathology distribution partner, will oversee market access operations and specimen management. Utilizing its pathology distribution infrastructure, Healius will manage specimen collection via its network of patient centres, coordinate pathology logistics, execute market access initiatives, and engage with healthcare referrers such as GPs, specialists, hospitals, and other providers. Both organisations will collaborate on implementation and commercial rollout, each focusing on their core competencies to ensure a coordinated national launch of the Promarker® portfolio.

Leveraging Healius’ Extensive Patient Collection and Referrer Network

A major strategic benefit of this partnership is immediate access to Healius’ vast pathology collection infrastructure, which includes over 2,000 patient collection centres across Australia. This expansive network enables clinicians to refer patients for Promarker® testing at convenient local centres, significantly reducing barriers to test adoption and patient participation. It also facilitates rapid geographic coverage in metropolitan and regional areas without requiring Proteomics International to develop its own collection infrastructure.

In addition to physical infrastructure, the partnership taps into Healius’ long-standing relationships with Australian healthcare providers. Healius maintains trusted connections with general practitioners, specialists, hospital networks, and other providers nationwide, built over years of pathology service delivery. These relationships are instrumental in introducing the Promarker® portfolio to clinicians familiar with Healius as a reliable pathology partner. Healius’ commercial and customer engagement teams will actively promote clinician awareness and adoption of the Promarker® tests through established communication channels.

Phased Commercial Rollout and FY27 Implementation Timeline

The agreement outlines a structured implementation plan to ensure successful market entry. Implementation activities have commenced immediately post-agreement, focusing on integrating Proteomics International’s laboratory operations with Healius’ distribution infrastructure. Key tasks include operational and IT system integration to enable seamless data flow and specimen tracking, establishing laboratory workflows across Healius’ collection network, clinician education and engagement programs to raise awareness of Promarker® tests, and market access planning for effective positioning.

Commercial rollout will be phased rather than a single nationwide launch, expected to begin progressively during the 2027 financial year following completion of implementation. This approach allows for addressing integration challenges, validating laboratory workflows, educating clinicians on test utility, and building momentum across different regions. The phased strategy also permits refinement of commercialisation based on early feedback and manages capacity scaling at Proteomics International’s laboratory as testing volumes grow.

Promarker® Portfolio Focus: Diabetic Kidney Disease and Oesophageal Cancer Risk Assessment

The Promarker® portfolio includes multiple blood tests designed to detect disease risk prior to conventional clinical signs. Promarker®D is a predictive test identifying type 2 diabetes patients at elevated risk of chronic kidney disease, enabling earlier intervention and personalised management before traditional clinical indicators emerge. Early detection of diabetic kidney disease is critical to slowing progression and reducing the need for dialysis.

Promarker®Eso aids in assessing oesophageal cancer risk, facilitating risk stratification in at-risk populations and supporting earlier clinical screening. These tests exemplify Proteomics International’s commitment to developing predictive and diagnostic tools across disease areas. The current announcement highlights these two tests, with the full Promarker® portfolio scope not detailed at this stage.

Capital-Efficient Commercialisation via Healius Partnership

Proteomics International’s partnership with Healius enables a capital-efficient commercialisation model by avoiding the substantial investment required to build a national specimen collection and distribution network. Establishing such infrastructure independently would necessitate significant expenditure on collection centres, logistics, IT systems, and field staff across Australia. Partnering with Healius grants access to this established infrastructure, allowing the company to allocate resources toward laboratory capacity, test development, and clinical evidence generation.

This model supports "capital-efficient market access and commercial implementation of the Promarker® portfolio," enabling national scale while focusing on core laboratory and clinical reporting competencies. It suits an early-stage diagnostic company prioritising market demand and clinical validation over heavy capital investment. Additionally, the partnership reduces operational complexity by eliminating the need to manage extensive collection centre operations, logistics, or large sales teams.

Revenue Outlook and Regulatory Compliance

Proteomics International has not provided financial forecasts related to the distribution agreement, stating that "as the Promarker® portfolio is at an early stage of commercialisation, the revenue that may be generated under the distribution agreement cannot be reliably estimated at this time." This reflects the nascent commercial rollout and uncertain clinician adoption rates. The company commits to updating the market on material developments per continuous disclosure obligations.

Commercial terms remain confidential, with no public disclosure of specimen processing fees, revenue sharing, volume incentives, or financial arrangements. Such confidentiality is standard in pathology distribution agreements. Investors should monitor future updates and financial reports for indications of revenue generation and commercial traction. The company’s transparency in announcing the partnership despite undisclosed financial details signals confidence in the collaboration’s strategic value.

Agreement Duration and Extension Options

The agreement features a three-year initial term with a mutual option to extend for an additional three years. This provides both parties with a committed timeframe to establish the Promarker® portfolio in Australia, complete implementation, launch commercial activities, and build clinician adoption and testing volume. The initial term aligns with typical diagnostic test commercialisation timelines to demonstrate clinical utility and market presence.

The mutual extension option offers strategic flexibility, allowing evaluation of partnership performance after three years based on market data, adoption metrics, and revenue. This arrangement incentivises both Proteomics International and Healius to invest in market development, knowing successful outcomes could lead to continued collaboration beyond the initial term.

Upcoming CEO Webinar and Investor Engagement on 23 July 2026

Proteomics International will host an investor webinar on Thursday, 23 July 2026, at 11:00am AEST (9:00am AWST). CEO and Managing Director David Morris will provide an in-depth presentation on the distribution agreement, followed by an interactive Q&A session for investors to seek clarifications on implementation timelines and commercial strategies. Interested participants must register via the provided Zoom link, with joining instructions sent upon registration.

The dedicated webinar underscores the partnership’s significance to shareholders, with direct CEO engagement reflecting the company’s commitment to transparent communication. This session offers investors valuable insights beyond the announcement, including potential milestones, revenue expectations, and broader commercialisation plans for the Promarker® portfolio in Australia.

Market Positioning and Competitive Edge in Diagnostic Testing

This distribution partnership establishes Proteomics International’s preferred commercialisation approach by collaborating with an established pathology provider rather than competing against major networks like Healius. This strategy positions the company as an innovative diagnostic test supplier integrated within existing pathology infrastructure, capitalising on the dominant presence of established players with extensive networks and clinician relationships.

Healius has noted that the Promarker® portfolio "complements Healius' pathology offering by expanding the range of predictive and diagnostic testing available to Australian clinicians." This suggests the tests address unmet clinical needs, adding value for both the distribution partner and referring clinicians. The partnership’s success will depend on clinician acceptance and achieving meaningful testing volumes through Healius’ network. The phased FY27 rollout will provide initial evidence of market uptake and clinical adoption within the Australian pathology sector.