Personalized Medicine
Dako Enters New Collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb
Dako has entered into a broad framework agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb on the development of pharmacodiagnostic tests intended to identify patients more likely to benefit from treatment with investigational drug candidates under development by Bristol-Myers Squibb. The agreement builds on a collaboration begun in 2008. “It is a great pleasure for me to announce Dako’s new collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb. This alliance heralds the intentions of both companies to work...
GE Healthcare Presents on Importance of Molecular Diagnostics in Personalized Treatment
Ger Brophy, PhD, Head of New Product Development, GE Healthcare, Medical Diagnostics discussed diagnostics as the future of personalized medicine at the TEDMED 2011 Conference in San Diego, CA. During his talk, Brophy noted that while new drugs and targeted treatment have advanced the personalized medicine field considerably, realizing this paradigm depends on the development of powerful diagnostics – some of which are available today. “Today, we’re at a tipping point in...
Life Technologies Signs Agreement with GlaxoSmithKline
Life Technologies Corp. has signed an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA (GSK) to develop a diagnostic to be used as a companion test with a GSK candidate cancer immunotherapy. Specifically, Life Technologies will develop a qPCR-based molecular diagnostic assay for GSK's MAGE-A3 cancer immunotherapy candidate designed to identify patients likely to benefit from the immunotherapy. MAGE-A3 candidate immunotherapy is currently being evaluated in two clinical trials. The phase III...
Genomic Health Announces Medicare Coverage for Colon Cancer Test
Genomic Health Inc. announced that Palmetto GBA, the designated national contractor for its Oncotype DX colon cancer test, has established a formal coverage policy for all Medicare patients. The Oncotype DX colon cancer test has been clinically validated to predict risk of recurrence in patients with stage II colon cancer. "Palmetto's coverage decision reflects the importance of evidence-based coverage and has the potential to transform care for Medicare colon cancer patients while saving...
LabCorp to Offer Companion Diagnostic for Melanoma
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp) announced the nationwide availability of a new FDA-approved diagnostic for melanoma patients. The drug Zelboraf and the cobas 4800 BRAF V600 Mutation Test companion diagnostic, both from Roche, were approved by FDA on August 17 for use in patients with inoperable or metastatic melanoma with the BRAFV600E gene mutation. The companion diagnostic is now available through LabCorp under the name BRAF Gene Mutation Assay, Melanoma. This test...
Crescendo Bioscience Secures $56M for Development, Commercialization of Personalized Diagnostics
Crescendo Bioscience has completed a $31 million Series C equity financing and entered into a strategic investment agreement with Myriad Genetics for $25 million, raising a total of $56 million. The Series C investment round was led by aeris Capital AG and was joined by existing investors Mohr Davidow Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and other investors. The $25 million investment by Myriad Genetics is non-dilutive capital that is structured as long term debt and is accompanied by...
Qiagen to Develop Companion Diagnostic for Compound in Clinical Trials for Blood Cancers
Qiagen has entered into a partnership with Eli Lilly and Co. for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of a molecular companion diagnostic for an early stage investigational compound currently being developed by Lilly. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Lilly's proprietary compound, called a JAK2 inhibitor, targets the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) gene, which has been shown to play a role in myeloproliferative neoplasms. Under the terms of the agreement, Qiagen will...
Study Findings Suggest U.S. High School Science Standards in Genetics Are Inadequate
A new study by the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) found that more than 85% of states have genetics standards that are inadequate for preparing America’s high school students for future participation in a society and healthcare system that are certain to be increasingly impacted by genetics-based personalized medicine. ASHG’s study findings are being published in the September 1 issue of the CBE–Life Sciences Education journal. “Science education in the United...
Roche Predicts Govt. Austerity Will Prompt Growth in Companion Diagnostics
Bloomberg published a story yesterday in which Roche says it expects government austerity strategies to benefit Roche's diagnostics unit in the next three to five years, thanks to broader use of tests to see which patients should receive expensive treatments. Roche Diagnostics' COO, Daniel O’Day, told Bloomberg that he expects the number of tests to help single out the patients who will benefit most from Roche’s therapeutics will double within two to three years. “No country...
Phadia, Biomonitor Collaborate on Antidrug Antibody Testing, Personalized Medicine
Phadia AB and Biomonitor A/S announced a collaboration in the field of immunogenicity testing and monitoring of patients treated with biopharmaceutical drugs. "The addition of BioMonitor’s iLite technology to our portfolio makes us the most complete supplier of solutions for Anti-Drug Antibody (ADA) testing," says Hans Johansson, Head of Phadia's Development Business. "We can now offer ADA testing services and products covering preclinical research through to patient...