The DxS B-RAF assay detects V600E, the most common mutation in the B-RAF oncogene, which occurs in many types of cancer including melanoma, colorectal and lung
DxS announces the addition of a B-RAF mutation detection kit to its range of oncogene mutation products.
DxS is a molecular diagnostic company specialising in products to detect mutations in tumours.
Understanding cancer mutation status can help select the optimal drug therapy for a patient.
Tumours with the V600E mutation are exquisitely sensitive to drugs that inhibit the MEK pathway; therefore this assay is likely to be useful to investigate which patients will respond to these drugs.
Companies with MEK inhibitor drugs in development include Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Roche.
The kit is highly selective and robust, detecting the mutation in a background of wild type genomic DNA in a real time PCR assay based on DxS Scorpions technology.
The assay can detect less than 1% of mutant in a background of wild type genomic DNA and has a limit of detection of five copies or below.
The un-paralleled selectivity of the technology means that the kit detects mutations frequently missed by sequencing methods.
Commenting on the B-RAF test, Stephen Little (CEO, DxS ) says: "Patient mutation status is becoming a vital predictor of response to some targeted cancer therapeutics.
"The DxS Scorpions test format is rapidly gaining acceptance as both the best and easiest method of mutation testing and this latest addition to our product range will help in the development of personalised medicine for cancer".
