NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – DxS today said that it has expanded its licensing deal with Genzyme Genetics covering the epidermal growth factor receptor gene.
The license gives Manchester, UK-based DxS rights to develop and sell diagnostic and research products that detect mutations in the EGFR gene for non-small cell lung cancer in the US and Canada. The deal builds on an agreement inked earlier this year that gave DxS similar rights to EGFR worldwide, except for North America and Hong Kong.
Genzyme holds the exclusive worldwide diagnostic rights for the use of EGFR gene mutations in testing for NSCLC tumors through a 2005 agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
DxS currently sells two EGFR products: the EGFR29 research kit and the CE-marked diagnostic test called TheraScreen, which the firm said will be distributed in Europe early this year by Roche Diagnostics.
Stephen Little, CEO of DxS, said in a statement that a recent study that compared the cancer drugs gefitinib (Iressa) and carboplatin (Paraplatin) “showed a marked difference in patients' response to treatment according to their genetic status, and we expect there will be an increased demand for EGFR tests to ensure patients receive the most effective treatment.”