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DxS Enters Into Collaboration With Bristol-Myers Squibb And ImClone Systems To
Provide a K-RAS Companion Diagnostic For ERBITUXR
Manchester, 2 September 2009 - DxS, a personalised medicine company, has entered
into a collaboration agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and
ImClone Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY),
to further develop a K-RAS companion diagnostic for ERBITUX® (cetuximab) in the
United States and Canada.
If approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the DxS TheraScreen®:
K-RAS Mutation Kit would become a companion diagnostic for use with ERBITUX in
metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) to determine which patients have wild-type
K-RAS status in the United States. The DxS TheraScreen: K-RAS Mutation Kit
detects K-RAS mutations in codons 12 and 13. The use of monoclonal antibody EGFR
inhibitors is not recommended for the treatment of colorectal cancer with
mutations in codon 12 or 13. It is estimated that 40 percent of patients with
mCRC have K-RAS mutations while the majority, 60 percent, have the wild-type
K-RAS gene.
Dr. Stephen Little, CEO of DxS said: “We are very pleased to be continuing our
work with Bristol-Myers Squibb and ImClone Systems to ensure K-RAS testing is
available to all patients in need of treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer
in the United States.”
Financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed.
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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, DxS will support the development and
sales of targeted cancer therapies by providing biomarkers and companion
diagnostics. Since its founding in 2001, DxS has experienced considerable growth
and firmly established itself as a leader in companion diagnostics, having
recently secured deals with leading healthcare companies such as Amgen,
Boehringer Ingelheim and AstraZeneca. In addition, DxS has an exclusive
agreement with Roche Diagnostics for the global distribution of its diagnostic
products.
DxS has a portfolio of cancer mutation products including both diagnostic and
assays for research use. The TheraScreen® range of CE-marked (IVD) diagnostic
kits (not for sale in the U.S.) can identify genetic tumour mutations that
affect how patients respond to cancer therapies. DxS currently produce two
diagnostic kits, TheraScreen K-RAS and TheraScreen EGFR29. The TheraScreen:
K-RAS Mutation kit is a companion diagnostic for Vectibix® (Amgen) and Erbitux®
(Merck KGaA) for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
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
Erbitux is a registered trademark of ImClone LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Eli Lilly and Company, licensed to Bristol-Myers Squibb for commercialization in
the US and Canada and to Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, for commercialization
outside the US and Canada. In Japan, ImClone Systems, Bristol-Myers Squibb and
Merck KGaA jointly develop and commercialize Erbitux.
TheraScreen is a registered trademark of DxS Limited.
For further information, please contact:
Sue Charles, Tony Stephenson, Dr John McIntyre
College Hill Life Sciences
+44 (0)20 7866 7864
DxS@collegehill.com
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