Precipio Inc (PRPO)

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Transgenomic Inc rockets as market hails new cancer assay

Transgenomic Inc (NASDAQ:TBIO), the diagnostics and testing biotech, saw shares rocket as it has developed a commercially available assay, which can show resistance to lung cancer treatments.

This is important because it could show if a patient was likely to benefit or otherwise from new generation therapies for treating non small cell lung cancer.

The firm developed the assay rapidly as a direct response to customer demand.

"This new test detects the presence of the EGFR C797S mutation that is associated with resistance to new third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapies in development for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), one of the most common and deadly cancers in the US.

"The ultra-high sensitivity of Transgenomic’s ICP technology makes it possible to run the new assay using either tissue, blood or serum samples. The test is currently available for research use through Transgenomic’s Biomarker Discovery Services group and is expected to be available for clinical use through the company’s Oncology CLIA laboratory in Omaha, Nebraska later this year."

Chief executive Paul Kinnon added: "The EGFR C797S mutation is an important predictor of resistance in third-generation TKI therapies for NSCLC and requires a very high sensitivity assay for early detection of possible resistance using the blood or serum samples that are the only option available during ongoing treatment.

"Our ICP technology is an ideal solution--it has very high sensitivity and can be analyzed using any of the latest sequencing platforms. In addition, ICP also detects unknown (non-allele specific) mutations so that new prognostic markers can be identified in the course of testing.”

http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/123868/transgenomic-inc-rockets-as-market-hails-new-cancer-assay-123868.html