NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) - BioServe and Phenomenome Discoveries have co-developed a serum-based colorectal cancer test that they hope to launch in the US in the fourth quarter of 2007, the companies said yesterday.
The companies said the test is currently available in Japan and in Canada and is available worldwide as a fee-for-service research-use-only tool.
Using samples provided by BioServe, Phenomenome used its metabolomics platform to discover a series of novel metabolites that were "significantly decreased" in colorectal cancer patients. The company said it used that information to develop a high-throughput method that can measure a "key" subset of those molecules.
Using a separate, independent population of 189 CRC samples and 287 controls supplied by BioServe, Phenomenome found that its test exhibited 78 percent sensitivity and 90 percent specificity.
The companies said the test has been validated in four independent studies and they plan to push the test into trials late in 2007 in Canada and Japan, where “healthcare authorities will evaluate the test's utility as part of a broad-based population screening regimen.”
Phenomenome CEO John Hyshka said in a statement that the company has expanded its collaboration with BioServe to identify serum biomarkers for other forms of cancer as well as multiple sclerosis.
He added that he expects the colorectal cancer test to have “a positive impact on the low compliance rate of colonoscopy as a screening tool and enable healthcare providers to make more efficient use of the colonoscopy in the management of CRC.”
Financial terms of the agreement were not released.