bioTheranostics, a bioMerieux company that discovers, develops and commercializes new molecular diagnostic tests in oncology, announced that the company has signed a two-year agreement with Lab21 to commercialize the bioTheranostics THEROS CancerTYPE ID molecular cancer classifier in the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland and Middle East countries. The agreement is effective immediately.
Under the terms of the agreement, UK-based Lab21 will market the THEROS CancerTYPE ID (CTID) molecular cancer classifier, while bioTheranostics will perform all sample testing in their CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory in San Diego, California.
The CTID assay is a 92-gene molecular cancer classifier that identifies 39 different types of tumors and 64 sub-types. It is particularly useful for oncologists and pathologists managing metastatic cancer patients whose primary tumor site (e.g., breast, lung, pancreas) is either "uncertain" or "unknown" following assessment with conventional diagnostics. The results of the CTID assay can guide physicians in selecting optimal therapies for these individuals and potentially improve treatment outcomes. Each year in the UK alone, more than 10,000 people are diagnosed with a cancer of unknown primary origin (aka CUP), and far more patients struggle with a differential diagnosis (i.e., two or more diagnostic options), each of which may lead to a different treatment path.