DxS And Amgen Enter Into Collaboration To Provide A K-RAS Companion Diagnostic For Vectibix(R) In The United States

Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 02 Dec 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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DxS, a personalised medicine company, has signed an agreement with Amgen Inc. to provide a K-RAS companion diagnostic for Vectibix® (panitumumab) in the United States.

Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, DxS and Amgen shall work together to further facilitate the use of Vectibix® in metastatic colorectal cancer patients with wild-type K-RAS status in the United States, with the intent that DxS' TheraScreen: K-RAS Mutation Kit will become a companion diagnostic for use with Vectibix® if approved by the FDA. This agreement between Amgen and DxS follows a collaboration entered into by the parties last year with respect to the TheraScreen: K-RAS Mutation Kit in Europe.

Dr Stephen Little, CEO of DxS said: "We are very pleased to be working with Amgen and building on our relationship. We believe that this agreement is a further endorsement of the capabilities of our K-RAS diagnostic test. We look forward to working with Amgen and the FDA to ensure that colorectal cancer patients in the USA have access to a K-RAS diagnostic test kit."

Financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed.

About DxS

DxS is a personalised medicine company providing molecular diagnostics to aid doctors and drug companies in selecting therapies for patients. Working in partnership with pharmaceutical companies to support the development and sales of targeted cancer therapies by providing biomarkers and companion diagnostics.

DxS has a continually expanding portfolio of cancer mutation products. The TheraScreen® range of CE-marked clinical diagnostic kits can identify genetic tumour mutations that affect how patients respond to cancer therapies, thus enabling doctors to provide the most beneficial treatment. DxS produce two clinical diagnostic kits, K-RAS and EGFR-29.

The TheraScreen: K-RAS Mutation kit is a companion diagnostic for Vectibix® (Amgen) and Erbitux® (Merck KGaA) for the treatment of colorectal cancer. DxS has an exclusive global distribution agreement with Roche Diagnostics for the distribution of the TheraScreen: K-RAS and TheraScreen: EGFR29 Mutation kits.

DxS' pioneering real-time PCR technology Scorpions® is highly regarded for its proven speed and sensitivity, and is combined with ARMS (allele specific PCR) to develop each unique DxS product. This class-leading technology is also available for licence to diagnostic companies, for research, or for other varied applications.

DxS is a private, venture capital-backed company operating from the heart of Manchester's Technology Quarter in the UK.

DxS