NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Perthera said today that it is partnering with stomach cancer non-profit Hope for Stomach Cancer to provide its Precision Cancer Analysis (PCA) service to all HSC patients at no cost to them.
Through its PCA service, Perthera will facilitate molecular profiling of Hope for Stomach Cancer patients, providing genomic, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic analyses of their tumors along with treatment recommendations based upon this molecular information.
Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"We're hopeful that through this new program, stomach cancer patients can get a PCA so they can be treated with precision drugs more often," Aki Smith, founder of Hope for Stomach Cancer, said in a statement. "Now more than ever, having detailed knowledge about the tumor's characteristics is critical in determining the patient's most effective treatment options, and this collaboration makes that a reality, regardless of the patient's geographical location."
Perthera does not perform the molecular profiling itself, but rather manages various aspects of the process, arranging for patient samples to be collected and then sent out to different molecular profiling firms for analysis. It then consults with oncologists and other experts to determine potential courses of therapy suggested by patients' profiles.
Since its founding five years ago, McLean, Virginia-based Perthera has focused primarily on pancreatic cancer, but the company has recently begun branching out into other cancers. Earlier this month it announced a collaboration with Novartis on breast and lung cancer.