Precision Medicine News and Research

RSS

Plexxikon, Genentech enter PLX4032 co-promotion agreement

Plexxikon, Inc., announced today that it has signed an agreement with Genentech to co-promote PLX4032 (RG7204) in the United States. PLX4032, an oral, novel kinase inhibitor that targets the oncogenic BRAF mutation, is being tested in late-stage clinical trials for the treatment of metastatic melanoma.

7 Jan 2011

Signal Genetics, Caris Life Sciences announce new agreement to commercialize MyPRS tool

Signal Genetics, the parent company of Myeloma Health LLC, a privately held predictive genetic testing company focused on oncology, and Caris Life Sciences, Inc., a leading biosciences company focused on enabling precise and personalized healthcare through the highest quality anatomic pathology, molecular profiling and blood-based diagnostic services, today announced a new agreement under which Caris Life Sciences will offer Signal Genetics' new gene expression profile test for Multiple Myeloma to community-based hematologists/medical oncologists nationwide.

6 Jan 2011

JAX, Tufts University unveil new mammalian genetics track for PhD students

The Jackson Laboratory, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts, and Tufts University School of Medicine have unveiled a new mammalian genetics track for PhD students. The joint track offers students in-depth research and training at both JAX and Tufts.

6 Jan 2011

IRIS ships 3,000th iQ200 Automated Urine Microscopy Analyzer to Sarasota Memorial Hospital

IRIS International, Inc., a leading manufacturer of automated in-vitro diagnostics systems and consumables for use in hospitals and commercial laboratories worldwide, and a provider of high value personalized diagnostics testing services through its CLIA certified molecular diagnostics laboratory, has shipped its 3,000th iQ200Automated Urine Microscopy Analyzer.

5 Jan 2011

Patients with over expression of P-Rex1 protein are more likely to develop cancer metastasis

Overexpression or hyperactivation of ErbB cell-surface receptors drives the growth of many breast cancers. Drugs, like Herceptin, that block the receptors' signals halt tumor progression in some patients.

23 Dec 2010

Itamar Medical, Roche enter development agreement for EndoPAT device

Itamar Medical, the leader in non-invasive vascular health diagnostics, announced today that an agreement has been signed with Roche by which Itamar will develop an EndoPAT device designated for use with animal models, enabling pre-clinical studies examining the efficacy of various compounds in the early stage of drug development essential for later stage development in humans.

20 Dec 2010

23andMe project aims at validating highly scalable pharmacogenomics research

23andMe has launched a project funded by the National Institutes of Health which is aimed at validating 23andMe's highly-scalable platform for pharmacogenomics research. The company received $190,000 in stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for "Web-based Phenotyping for Genome-Wide Association Studies of Drug Response" from NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute.

17 Dec 2010

Study: Biomarkers may aid in early diagnosis of breast cancer

Using a new, powerful method for rapidly screening molecules associated with disease, proteomics expert Joshua LaBaer and colleagues from the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University have identified a broad panel of 28 early predictors, or biomarkers, that may one day aid in the early diagnosis of breast cancer.

17 Dec 2010

Genes predict survival time, potential new treatments for patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered sets of genes active in cancer cells and normal tissue that predict survival time and potential new treatments for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

15 Dec 2010

Silicon Biosystems' newly formed subsidiary to commercialize DEPArray technology platform

Silicon Biosystems, S.p.A., a provider of specialized molecular and cell biology technology, today announced that it has formed a U.S. subsidiary operation, Silicon Biosystems, Inc., to be headquartered in San Diego, California. The newly formed business will focus on commercial operations and the development of the North American research and clinical diagnostics markets for the company's DEPArray™ technology platform.

13 Dec 2010

Caliper to acquire CRi for $20.0 million

Caliper Life Sciences, Inc., a leading provider of products and services for drug discovery research, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Cambridge Research & Instrumentation, Inc. (CRi) for approximately $20.0 million, including net debt. CRi's patented preclinical and tissue-based multiplexed analysis systems will expand Caliper's life sciences tools portfolio, particularly as it bridges into clinical research, pathology and clinical market applications.

10 Dec 2010

Personalized medicine advocates push for better reimbursement system

The U.S. reimbursement for diagnostic tests is outdated and inhibits the development of more personalized tests for patients, according to a report released Tuesday by the Personalized Medicine Coalition.

9 Dec 2010

ChipDX validates genetic signature for early-stage colon cancer

ChipDX LLC, a New York-based online molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine company, discovered and validated a genetic signature for early-stage colon cancer and is developing an online screening application to enable clinicians to more accurately identify risk of recurrence. In the study, published in the December issue of the British Journal of Cancer, ChipDX demonstrates how the 163-gene signature stratifies colon cancer patients into high- and low-risk groups for recurrence with greater accuracy than current methods.

8 Dec 2010

New tool for predicting disease course in children with Crohn's disease

A new study published in the journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases develops a computer based visual tool that can be used in “real time” to show pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) patients’ predicted disease course and how this might be influenced by different treatment options.

6 Dec 2010

Elsevier announces title change for Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics journal

Elsevier, the world's leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information, announced today that its highly respected Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics journal is changing its title to Cancer Genetics and has named Dr. Jaclyn A. Biegel as editor-in-chief.

6 Dec 2010

Personal environment influences effects of genes and risk of disease

Personalized medicine centers on being able to predict the risk of disease or response to a drug based on a person's genetic makeup. But a study by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that, for most common diseases, genes alone only tell part of the story.

4 Dec 2010

New approach to biomarker detection for early lung cancer diagnosis

Even with astounding advances in genomic science, genetic analysis of disease remains largely a measure of risk rather than actual disease state. A truer and more immediate measure of health can be obtained by analysis of proteins, especially those that are biomarkers of disease state.

2 Dec 2010

ROCHE, Baylor Research Institute partner in human immunology research

Baylor Research Institute (BRI), the research arm of Baylor Health Care System, announced today that it has formed a three-year partnership with Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) to jointly develop programs emerging from the human immunology platforms developed at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research (BIIR), a component of BRI.

2 Dec 2010

Museum of Science recognizes RainDance for contributions to advance genetic research

RainDance Technologies, Inc., a private company pioneering microdroplet-based technologies for single molecule and single cell analysis, today announced that the company has been recognized by the Museum of Science, Boston and the Boston Patent Law Association for its innovations and contributions to advancing the field of genetic research.

2 Dec 2010

LabCorp completes Genzyme Genetics acquisition

Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Genzyme Genetics, a business unit of Genzyme Corp., in an all cash transaction valued at $925 million. Net of expected income tax benefits, less acquisition-related expenses, the acquisition has a net cash cost to LabCorp of approximately $795 million.

2 Dec 2010