Agendia Gets European Rights to Arcturus TUO-gene Profile

NEW YORK, Feb. 2 (GenomeWeb News) - Agendia, a Dutch firm that specializes in gene-expression services, has signed an agreement with Arcturus Bioscience to license the company's exclusive European rights to its Tumor of Unknown Origin(TUO)-gene expression profile, the companies said today.

Agendia said that it had used Arcturus' profile to create a gene expression-based diagnostic test called CupPrint.

The new test will be used in helping doctors locate the primary tumors in cancer patients.

René Bernards , co-founder and chief scientific officer of Agendia, said in a statement that the new tool will have an impact in treating patients that often face higher mortality rates because their primary tumors cannot be rapidly identified.

According to Agendia, CupPrint uses a gene-expression database of currently 32 different tissue types and 78 tumor types, and can therefore rapidly determine whether the primary tumor belongs to one of the major categories.

CupPrint will be available in early spring, Bernards said. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Bernhard Sixt, Agendia's CEO, said the company's "aim is to develop products that assist oncologists and physicians to determine who should be treated in which specific way. Targeted, tailor-made clinical treatments plans are essential in maximizing a patient's chances of a cure."

Agendia is based in Amsterdam. Arcturus Bioscience is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif.