Janssen Diagnostics, LLC recently announced results from a study presented at the European Cancer Congress in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that demonstrated circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration using CELLSEARCH®, along with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as part of a composite biomarker panel, was an efficacy-response surrogate for survival in managing patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The results show mCRPC patients with greater than or equal to five CTCs and an abnormal LDH level at 12 weeks of treatment have a poorer prognosis than those with lower CTC counts and normal LDH values, with a one- and two-year survival probability of 25 percent and 2 percent compared to 82 percent and 46 percent, respectively. Findings suggest therapeutic alternatives should be considered for patients in the high-risk category at 12 weeks.
KineMed Awarded NIH Contract to Identify Biomarkers for Myocardial Fibrosis
KineMed, Inc. (www.kinemed.com) recently announced that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), awarded the company a Phase I SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) contract to develop biomarkers for the detection of early myocardial fibrosis. Biomarkers for myocardial fibrosis will guide disease interventions that block the progression of this disease which is risk factor for heart failure and arrhythmias.
Luminex Corporation Receives FDA and European Clearance for a New Personalized Medicine Genotyping Assay, xTAG CYP2C19 Kit
Luminex Corporation (NASDAQ: LMNX) recently announced it has received U.S. FDA and European clearance for a comprehensive genotyping assay, xTAG® CYP2C19 Kit. This new test enables a personalized approach to aid physicians in determining patient treatment plans based on certain genetic variants of the P450 2C19 gene.