Thermo Fisher Scientific has signed a companion diagnostic (CDx) partnership with Germany-based pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim to select patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for targeted therapy treatment.
Under the partnership, the firms will work together to develop CDx tests to help identify NSCLC patients with specific genomic mutations.
The collaboration will use two CDx assays from Thermo Fisher including the Oncomine Dx Express Test on the Ion Torrent Genexus Dx System and the Oncomine Dx Target Test.
This will grant cancer patients in Japan and the US more access to reliable genomic testing to support emerging precision therapies and improve patient outcomes, the American biotechnology company said.
Thermo Fisher Scientific clinical next-generation sequencing and oncology president Garret Hampton said: “Our proven track record of co-developing CDx tests reinforces our commitment to working with leading pharma companies to ensure patients may have immediate access to these targeted therapies once approved.
“Boehringer Ingelheim has made a generational commitment to transforming cancer care, and we’re excited to be supporting their pipeline as they work to ensure the appropriate tests are available to match eligible patients with emerging targeted therapies.”
Both parties aim to develop multiple companion diagnostic tests so that labs with different testing methods can match patients who meet the eligibility requirements with new NSCLC treatments as they become available.
When combined with the Genexus Dx System, Thermo Fisher’s Oncomine Dx Express Test is said to provide a fully integrated next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform that can test a patient’s tumour tissue or blood specimen and provide useful results in less than 24 hours.
The Genexus Dx System streamlines the testing process and makes this technology accessible to more labs by providing a turnkey, end-to-end NGS system that takes as little as 10 minutes of hands-on time.
The Oncomine Dx Target Test is said to be the only distributed NGS CDx kit that is approved by regulators and is available for 17 targeted therapies in 18 countries.
