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Trovagene, Dana-Farber Collaborate on Metastatic Melanoma Research

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Trovagene said today it has forged a clinical collaboration with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to study the use of quantitative urine-based mutation detection for metastatic melanoma.

Specifically, the two parties will investigate whether Trovagene's non-invasive, urine-based, molecular detection methods can be used to monitor tumor mutation burden and treatment response over time in metastatic melanoma patients. Urine samples will be collected from patients with locally advanced or metastatic melanoma known to harbor driver cancer mutations. Led by Jason Luke, Dana-Farber oncologists will conduct clinical studies to monitor oncogene mutations in study subjects based on urinary cell-free DNA as an analytical specimen, Trovagene said.

The studies will be designed to collect data about the patients' clinical status, the effect of treatments, and the long-term outcomes of therapies using Trovagene's technology. The San Diego-based firm noted that, in collaboration with other parties, it has so far processed more than 1,000 patient samples and is developing the clinical evidence necessary for broad market adoption of its technology.

"Based on study data that Trovagene has presented at medical meetings thus far, we are encouraged that urinary cell-free DNA has potential to offer a non-invasive solution for tracking oncogene mutations during and after treatment, and this may help physicians improve patient outcomes," Luke said in a statement.

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