NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Contextual Genomics and the Personalized Medicine Initiative today announced that Sanofi has partnered with the Canadian National Access Project for Cancer Testing.
Under the terms of the agreement, Sanofi will provide a grant of an undisclosed amount as well as technical expertise to the 3-month-old consortium. As part of the project, Contextual Genomics provides a 90-mutation cancer genomics test for each of the 2,000 patients that it hopes to include in the project, free of charge. Each mutation that is identified is treated with current medications or Phase III investigational treatments.
Sanofi joins fellow drugmakers Pfizer Canada and AstraZeneca in the consortium.
The first phase of the project is currently underway and tumors from about 500 patients are being retrospectively mapped to identify genetic mutations. Results from the effort and corresponding therapies for the mutations will be shared with oncologists, Contextual Genomics and the Personalized Medicine Initiative said.
They added that Phase II of the program is anticipated to start in the coming months. In this phase, the patient base will be expanded to 1,500 patients across Canada to prospectively evaluate and match specific tumor types with about 40 therapy options.