Response Genetics Inc. (Nasdaq: RGDX), a company focused on the development and sale of molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, today announced that it has expanded its ResponseDX: Lung™ genetic test panel to detect the presence of EML4-ALK gene variants in lung cancer patients. EML4-ALK fusion genes are present in about four percent of tumors from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These rearranged genes promote tumor cell growth and predict lack of benefit from therapies that inhibit EGF receptor (EGFR) activity.
“Response Genetics is committed to expanding its existing ResponseDX™ tests as genes that correlate with therapeutic benefit are identified”
Recently, ALK inhibitors have entered clinical development and shown efficacy in NSCLC patients harboring EML4-ALK fusion proteins. Response Genetics' proprietary PCR-based assay is capable of rapidly detecting and identifying nine known fusion gene variants in archival tissue. This new test is expected to be useful for large-scale screening of tissue samples and is available nationwide through the company's sales force.
"Response Genetics is committed to expanding its existing ResponseDX™ tests as genes that correlate with therapeutic benefit are identified," said Kathleen Danenberg, Response Genetics president and CEO. "We are encouraged by the rapid acceptance and use of our EML4-ALK test by the oncology community. With the addition of EML4-ALK, our ResponseDX: Lung™ genetic panel gives physicians even more information to help this unique group of patients with treatment-resistant lung cancer."
By assessing mutations and expression levels across multiple genes, the ResponseDX: Lung™ genetic test panel may help physicians tailor treatment to their patients, potentially improving outcome to therapy for the more than 200,000 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients in the U.S. yearly.
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