23rd Sep 2014 07:18
LONDON (Alliance News) - EKF Diagnostics Holdings PLC said Tuesday that it has signed a two-year research collaboration agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital to develop PointMan assays that can effectively detect treatable cancer mutations in blood samples.
The PointMan technology provides a reliable and highly sensitive determination of the presence or absence of a mutation in the DNA sequence, said EKF. Mutations are associated with diseases such as cancer and the patient's response to treatment, known as personalised healthcare.
The point-of-care, central laboratory and molecular diagnostics business said the US research collaboration agreement has been signed following a detailed evaluation of PointMan DNA enrichment technology by MGH and will cover a two-year project focusing on lung, breast and skin cancer.
The hospital will use PointMan DNA enrichment technology for the detection of genetic variation in circulating tumour cells isolated from a patient's blood using MGH's CTC-Chip instrument. CTCs are shed by primary tumors allowing the cancer to metastasise.
The AIM-listed company said it will design and develop high sensitivity assays which will be utilised by the hospital with a view to clinically validating PointMan in the detection of existing and novel mutations, a major step towards the improvement of patient outcomes at Massachusetts General Hospital.
"The results of an initial assessment, and now this two year collaboration, moves us even closer to the routine use of blood based tests for cancer rather than a tissue biopsy. The combination of MGH's CTC-Chip instrument and the easy to use and quick to perform PointMan technology should make this approach to cancer detection and monitoring available, ultimately, to the majority of molecular testing laboratories", said Chief Executive of EKF Molecular Diagnostics Ltd Andrew Webb.
Shares in EKF Diagnostics were trading 4.73% higher at 24.61 pence per share shortly after the market open Tuesday.
By Alice Attwood; [email protected]; @AliceAtAlliance
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