Roche Molecular Systems has entered into a research collaboration with Merck Sharp & Dohme (Merck), a subsidiary of Merck & Co, providing Merck access to its developmental microarray-based AmpliChip p53 Test.
Roche’s investigational AmpliChip p53 Test is designed to detect damage to p53 DNA in tumor cells in order to identify which cells carry dysfunctional p53 proteins that can lead to treatment resistance.
By identifying cancers that harbor a dysfunctional p53 gene, the companies aim to achieve better treatment outcomes in cancer patients by determining which patients are most likely to respond to certain investigational therapeutic candidates.
Paul Brown, president and CEO of Roche Molecular Diagnostics, said: “Roche designed its investigational AmpliChip p53 Test to rapidly provide clinically important information that can be used early in pharmaceutical development to help predict cancer patient responses to certain therapeutic candidates. Roche is excited to enter into this collaboration with Merck because of the potential this test has to improve cancer patient response to treatment.”
Eric Rubin, vice president of oncology at Merck Research Laboratories, said: “The goal of our research is to discover and develop innovative cancer therapeutics and deliver them to the right patients at the right time. By applying the AmpliChip p53 Test in selected clinical trials we hope to identify those patients most likely to respond to specific therapeutic regimens in development.”