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DxS and Exiqon Diagnostics to host a joint Personalized Cancer Therapy workshop
during the ASCO Annual Meeting
Manchester, Tuesday 26th May 2009 DxS Ltd, a personalized medicine
company and leader in the field of companion diagnostics is working in
partnership with Exiqon Diagnostics, a company on the forefront of
individualizing cancer care through its novel molecular and cell-based oncology
clinical laboratory services, to present a timely and relevant workshop on
personalized cancer therapy.
The workshop, which will take place on Friday, May 29, 2009 will coincide with
the start of the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual
Meeting in Orlando Florida, and is entitled ‘Personalizing Cancer Therapy: KRAS
and other Predictive Assays’.
Three high-profile speakers will discuss the value of predictive biomarkers in
oncology - focusing on KRAS and EGFR - in terms of their place in the clinical
sphere, the relationship to drug response, and the more practical application of
the tests in a laboratory environment.
Dr. Axel Grothey (Professor of Oncology at Mayo Clinic) will chair the workshop
and present a session on KRAS patient testing. Other speakers include Dr.
Stanley Hamilton (Professor and Head Division of Pathology and Laboratory
Medicine at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center) who will discuss the practical
application of predictive biomarkers, and Dr. Alex Adjei (Chairman, Department
of Medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Institute) who will discuss mutations in the
EGFR gene and response to anti-EGFR therapies.
The direct relevance of the workshop’s subject matter to the field of cancer
medicine has been highlighted by recent papers[1-3] and guidelines published
this year by ASCO[4] that recommend that all patients with metastatic colorectal
cancer who are considered for anti-EGFR antibody therapy should first have their
tumor tested for K-RAS mutations in a CLIA-accredited laboratory. Dr Axel
Grothey (Mayo Clinic) said, “KRAS testing has opened the door toward
personalized medicine in colorectal cancer”.
Workshop participants will become familiar with the methods and implications of
KRAS mutation testing for the oncologist, pathologist and patient as well as
mutations in other relevent genes including EGFR, BRAF and PI3K that can affect
response to targeted therapies. Additonally, information will be presented on
other predicitve assays based on: phenotyping, such as in vitro drug response
assays (i.e., EDR® Assay offered by Exiqon Diagnostics) and genotyping (targeted
molecular diagnostics assays), that are available for predicting response to
both cytotoxic drugs and targeted therapies.
The program starts at 6:00 pm with a cheese and wine reception at the Rosen
Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Florida and is free to attend. Space is limited.
Registration for the workshop and further information can be found at
www.kras-orlando2009.com.
-ends-
References
1) Bokemeyer, C., Bondarenko, I., Makhson, A., Haartmann, JT. et al. (2009) -
Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin With and Without Cetuximab in the
First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Journal of Clinical
Oncology 27(5):663-671
2) Van Cutsem, E., Köhne, CH., Hitre, E., Zaluski, J et al. (2009) Cetuximab and
Chemotherapy as Initial Treatment for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. New Engl J
Med 360(14):1408-1417
3) Jimeno, A., Messersmith, WA., Hirsch, FR., Franklin, WA.,Eckhardt, SG. (2009)
- KRAS Mutations and Sensitivity to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors
in Colorectal Cancer: Practical Application of Patient Selection. Journal of
Clinical Oncology 27(7):1130-1136
4) Allegra, CJ., Jessup, M., Somerfield, MR., Hamilton, SR. et al. (2009)
American Society of Clinical Oncology Provisional Clinical Opinion: Testing for
KRAS Gene Mutations in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma to Predict
Response to Anti–Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Monoclonal Antibody Therapy.
Journal of Clinical Oncology, 27 (12):2091-2096
For further information, please contact:
Sue Charles, Tony Stephenson, Dr John McIntyre
College Hill Life Sciences
+44 (0)20 7866 7864
DxS@collegehill.com
Ronald Blum, Ph.D.
Vice President, Marketing
Exiqon Diagnostics
1-800-576-6326
info@oncotech.com
Notes to Editors
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.
For further information please visit
www.dxsdiagnostics.com
About Exiqon Diagnostics
Exiqon Diagnostics (the tradename for Oncotech, Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary
of Exiqon A/S), is a leader in personalizing medicine for cancer patients. As a
CLIA and CAP-certified laboratory, Exiqon Diagnostics develops and performs
novel molecular and cell-based oncology assays to help physicians individualize
and optimize treatment selection for their patients. In addition to the Extreme
Drug Resistance (EDR®) Assay, Exiqon Diagnostics offers an extensive test menu
of prognostic and predictive molecular oncology biomarkers using fluorescence in
situ hybridization (FISH), flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and
other cutting-edge technologies.
For further information please visit
www.exiqondiagnostics.com
About Exiqon
Exiqon is a biotech company with activities in three business areas where the
company's technologies provide a competitive advantage: Sale of diagnostic tests
(Exiqon Diagnostics), sale of innovative research products for miRNA research (Exiqon
Life Sciences), and in contract research together with pharmaceutical companies
(Exiqon Pharma Services).
Exiqon is dedicated to personalizing the treatment selection for cancer
patients. The aim is to optimize the use of existing medicine and avoid
unnecessary and non-effective treatment. By using molecular diagnostic tests
that analyze the genetic profile of each patient's tumor, treatment selection
can be optimized for individuals. Exiqon is uniquely positioned to develop such
new diagnostic tests. Exiqon already markets diagnostic tests that based on
fresh tumor tissue enable doctors to test whether their patients are resistant
to one or more of the chemotherapies offered to treat these patients and help
them select an efficacious treatment.
Exiqon’s new molecular diagnostic products are based on the LNA™ technology that
enables testing on fixed tissue. Launch of the first molecular diagnostic
product was announced in December 2008. A number of new products will follow in
the years ahead. Using the LNA™ technology is what has allowed Exiqon to
establish a position for itself as one of the market's leading providers of
research products for gene expression analysis. These research products are used
by university scientists and in the pharmaceutical industry around the world to
make groundbreaking discoveries about the correlation between gene activity and
the development various diseases.
Exiqon is also collaborating with pharmaceutical companies in their effort to
develop new medicines based on biomarkers (Personalized Medicine). Exiqon has
more than 200 employees and is listed on the NASDAQ OMX in Copenhagen and
categorized as a biotech company (Small Cap+). Exiqon is financed until expected
breakeven in 201.
For further information, please visit
www.exiqon.com
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