DXS is working with Astrazeneca to make available a companion diagnostic for use with Iressa (gefitinib), Astrazeneca's treatment for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
DXS's clinical diagnostic, the Therascreen: EGFR29 mutation kit, will be used to test the mutation status of a patient's EGFR oncogene to identify his or her eligibility for treatment with Iressa.
The CE-marked Therascreen: EGFR29 mutation kit is based on DXS's Arms and Scorpions real-time PCR technology, which allows for a highly sensitive and selective test that can detect low levels of mutant in a background of wild-type genomic DNA in a tumour, with the time to result in less than three hours.
The collaboration follows the granting of marketing authorisation for Iressa in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with activating mutations of EGFR-TK across all lines of therapy.
Iressa acts by inhibiting the tyrosine kinase enzyme in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), thus blocking the transmission of signals involved in the growth and spread of tumours.
In around 10-15 per cent of NSCLC cases in Caucasians, a mutation in the EGFR pathway causes tumours to be particularly susceptible to treatment with Iressa, making the use of a companion diagnostic to identify those most suitable for treatment important.
The EU authorisation is based on a submission package including two pivotal Phase III studies: Ipass and Interest.
Dr Stephen Little, chief executive officer of DXS, said: 'The results from the Ipass trial show just how important the development of a companion diagnostic is for use with Iressa in ensuring that patients most likely to benefit receive the therapy.
'We hope that, through the better understanding of the relationship between EGFR mutation status and response to anti-EGFR therapies such as Iressa, patients receive the best possible cancer treatment,' he added.
