Pyrosequencing Platform Evaluated for Predicting Cancer Drug Efficacy

Several novel drugs against the growth hormone receptor EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) have been recently approved for the treatment of advanced colorectal and lung cancer. The efficacy of all of these drugs is strongly connected to the mutation status of the gene k-ras. Many studies have shown that patients with k-ras mutation do not response to EGFR-inhibitor treatment; in contrast, patients without mutation are much more likely to benefit significantly from this therapy in these often-fatal cancer forms.

In March 2008, Biotage (Uppsala, Sweden) introduced an assay for the determination of this clinically important mutation. The assay determines contiguous, multi-variable mutations at codons 12 and 13 of the K-ras gene, as well as rare mutations in codon 61. The molecular pathology group at Uppsala University Hospital (Uppsala, Sweden) will evaluate the k-ras assay on Biotage's PyroMarkTMQ24 pyrosequencing platform for clinical cancer diagnostics.

Dr. Patrick Micke, from the department of pathology at the Uppsala University Hospital, stresses the clinical importance of implementing robust and sensitive molecular analyses in cancer diagnostics, "We have had good experience with the PyroMark system within a previous clinical research project. Therefore, we were interested in extending the collaboration into clinical practice. As a result, we are able to provide the mutation analysis already today for clinicians. In the next month we will carefully test the system, and in cooperation with other pathology centers, compare it to other methods.”

Torben Jørgensen, CEO and president of Biotage said, "Genomic analysis of cancer associated genes might predict prognosis, tendency of disease recurrence, or the response to different cancer therapies. The collaboration with Dr. Micke and his team is one of several efforts that we expect to lead into further future product developments.”

The molecular pathology facility at the Uppsala University Hospital performs molecular testing of human tissue specimens for diagnostic purposes. Clinical activities include the molecular analyses of hematologic and solid tumor malignancies, as well as the detection of oncogenic viral infections. Molecular testing is applied as a supplement for diagnostics as well as to predict response to therapy or provide prognostic information.


Related Links:
Biotage
Uppsala University Hospital