LabCorp To Offer A New Companion Diagnostic For Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp) announced recently the nationwide availability of a new FDA-approved companion diagnostic for lung cancer patients.
The drug XALKORI, available from Pfizer, and Abbott Molecular's Vysis ALK Break Apart FISH Probe companion diagnostic test were simultaneously approved by the FDA on August 26, 2011 for use in patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The Vysis ALK Break Apart FISH Probe test detects all ALK gene rearrangements and is the only available diagnostic assay that has been clinically validated to predict response to the targeted therapy XALKORI. An estimated 6,500-11,000 individuals will develop advanced ALK-positive NSCLC in the United States in 2011.
"2011 has been an important year for personalized medicine," indicated Dr. Mark Brecher, LabCorp's Chief Medical Officer. "The recent approval of XALKORI for NSCLC and its companion test demonstrates how laboratory diagnostics will play an even larger role in cancer care, assisting physicians in administering the treatments best suited to the disease."
Approximately 3% to 5% of NSCLC tumors are characterized by genetic rearrangements in a gene called ALK. The ALK gene encodes a key cell signaling protein, and when altered by a rearrangement that combines ALK with other gene sequences, the pathway becomes constitutively active and drives cell proliferation and uncontrolled growth. The drug XALKORI inhibits the mutant ALK protein, and thereby diminishes the ability of the cancer cells to grow and divide. There is limited efficacy data in patients that lack the ALK rearrangement and a clinically validated companion diagnostic is essential for identifying which patients will benefit from therapy. The new FDA-approved Vysis ALK Break Apart FISH Probe Kit for XALKORI detects a specific rearrangement in the ALK gene using a technique called fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH). The Vysis ALK Break Apart FISH Probe Kit has been optimized only for identifying and quantifying rearrangements of the ALK gene from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human NSCLC tissue specimens.
LabCorp's Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology (CMBP) was instrumental in the studies supporting the approval of this new companion diagnostic. CMBP collaborated with Abbott Molecular in the analytical validation of the ALK companion diagnostic. LabCorp's Esoterix Clinical Trials Services provided testing for tumor samples in these studies that supported FDA approval.
The Vysis ALK Break Apart FISH Probe test is now available for patient testing nation-wide through LabCorp.
About LabCorp
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, an S&P 500 company, is a pioneer in commercializing new diagnostic technologies and the first in its industry to embrace genomic testing. With annual revenues of $5.0B in 2010, over 31,000 employees worldwide, and more than 220,000 clients, LabCorp offers a broad test menu ranging from routine blood analyses to reproductive genetics to DNA sequencing. LabCorp furthers its scientific expertise and innovative clinical testing technology with its Centers of Excellence: The Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Genetics Institute, ViroMed Laboratories, Inc., The Center for Esoteric Testing, Litholink Corporation, Genzyme Genetics*, DIANON Systems, Inc., US LABS, Monogram Biosciences, Inc., and Esoterix and its Colorado Coagulation, Endocrine Sciences, and Cytometry Associates laboratories. LabCorp conducts clinical trials testing through its Esoterix Clinical Trials Services division. LabCorp clients include physicians, government agencies, managed care organizations, hospitals, clinical labs, and pharmaceutical companies. For more information, visit www.labcorp.com.
*Genzyme Genetics and its logo are trademarks of Genzyme Corporation and used by Esoterix Genetic Laboratories, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of LabCorp, under license. Esoterix Genetic Laboratories and LabCorp are operated independently from Genzyme Corporation.
SOURCE: Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings