Tag Archives: in vitro diagnostics

Lab-On-A-Chip: Veridex & MGH Collaborate On Next-Generation Circulating Tumor Cell Test

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Veridex, LLC announces a collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital to develop and commercialize a next-generation circulating tumor cell technology for capturing, counting and characterizing tumor cells found in patients’ blood.

Yesterday, Veridex, LLC (Veridex) announced a collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to develop and commercialize a next-generation circulating tumor cell (CTC) technology for capturing, counting and characterizing tumor cells found in patients’ blood. The collaboration will involve Ortho Biotech Oncology Research & Development (ORD), a unit of Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development. It focuses on the development of a next-generation system that will enable CTCs to be used both by oncologists as a diagnostic tool for personalizing patient care, as well as by researchers to accelerate and improve the process of drug discovery and development.

The collaboration will rely on the collective scientific, technical, clinical, and commercial expertise between the partners: MGH’s experience in clinical research and novel CTC technologies; the experience of Veridex as the only diagnostics company to have brought CTC technology to the U.S. market as an FDA-cleared in vitro diagnostic (IVD) assay ( “CellSearch® CTC Test”) for capturing and counting the number of tumor cells in the blood to help inform patients and their physicians about prognosis and overall survival in certain types of metastatic cancers; and ORD’s expertise in oncology therapeutics, biomarkers and companion diagnostics.  The platform to be developed will be a bench-top system to specifically isolate and explore the biology of rare cells at the protein, RNA and DNA levels.

“This new technology has the potential to facilitate an easy-to-administer, non-invasive blood test that would allow us to count tumor cells, and to characterize the biology of the cells,” said Robert McCormack, Head of Technology Innovation and Strategy, Veridex. “Harnessing the information contained in these cells in an in vitro clinical setting could enable tools to help select treatment and monitor how patients are responding.”

“The role of CTCs in drug discovery and development is growing as new technologies allow us to use CTCs for the first time as templates for novel DNA, RNA and protein biomarkers,” said Nicholas Dracopoli, Vice President, Biomarkers, ORD. “Given the demand for actionable data to guide personalized medicine for patients with cancer, there is a rapidly growing need for advanced, automated non-invasive technologies that can aid in selection of treatment and monitor response throughout the course of their disease.”

Mehmet Toner, Ph.D., Professor of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) & Harvard Medical School; Director, MGH BioMicro- ElectroMechanical Systems Resource Center

“The challenging goal of sorting extremely rare circulating tumor cells from blood requires continuous technological, biological and clinical innovation to fully explore the utility of these precious cells in clinical oncology,” said Mehmet Toner, Ph.D., director of the BioMicroElectroMechanical Systems Resource Center in the MGH Center for Engineering in Medicine. “We have developed and continue to develop a broad range of technologies that are evolving what we know about cancer and cancer care. This collaboration is an opportunity to apply our past learning to the advancement of a platform that will ultimately benefit patients with cancer.”

Building on its successful development and evolution of CTC technology, as well as contributions to the body of science in the CTC field, MGH aims to revolutionize how oncologists detect, monitor and potentially treat cancers.  The MGH team has already developed two generations of a microfluidic chip capable of capturing CTCs with a high rate of efficiency. However the third generation technology now being developed with the companies is based on a new technological platform and will aim for even higher sensitivity, as well as suitability for broad applications and ready dissemination.

In the above demonstration of the first generation CTC-Chip, circulating tumor cells (fluorescent labeled, shown in white) mixed with blood (not labeled) are captured on nano-scale posts as they flow through the chip. The chip is the size of a microscope slide with 78,000 posts, which are coated with antibodies to epithelial cell adhesion molecules in tumor cells. (Video courtesy of Dr. Sunitha Nagrath, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School)

“This agreement is quite different from the usual academic-industrial agreement because we will be working together to bring new MGH-invented technology from its current, very early stage, through prototype and scale-up, to our ultimate goals of FDA approval and clinical adoption,” says Dr. Toner. “Our innovation team will be dedicated to developing this technology from its basic scientific principles all the way to initial prototyping within the biological research and clinical environments. Veridex has the knowledge required to translate early-stage technology into a product that can be reliably manufactured and meet regulatory requirements.

“Applying data gathered from CTCs to the care of cancer patients is a complex problem, and our strategy is to diversify technological approaches to find the best solutions for specific applications,” Toner adds. “We may find that different technologies work better for diagnosis, for prognosis and for the long-term goal of early detection; so we don’t want to confine ourselves to a single option.” His team is continuing to develop the microfluidic chip technology, with the support of Stand Up to Cancer.

Daniel A. Haber, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, director of the MGH Cancer Center, says, “The ability to establish a dedicated MGH research center focused on the intersection of bioengineering, molecular biology and clinical oncology presents an opportunity to develop a next-generation platform that will help us detect, define and monitor cancer cells more effectively – which should make an enormous difference in the lives of so many patients and their families.”

About Circulating Tumor Cells

Circulating tumor cells are cancer cells that have detached from the tumor and are found at extremely low levels in the bloodstream. The value of capturing and counting CTCs is evolving as more research data is gathered about the utility of these markers in monitoring disease progression and potentially guiding personalized cancer therapy.

About Veridex, LLC

Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, is an organization dedicated to providing physicians with high-value diagnostic oncology products. Veridex’s IVD products may significantly benefit patients by helping physicians make more informed decisions that enable better patient care. Veridex’s Clinical Research Solutions provide tools and services that may be used for the selection, identification and enumeration of targeted rare cells in peripheral blood for the identification of biomarkers, aiding scientists in their search for new, targeted therapies. For more information, visit www.veridex.com.

About Ortho Biotech Oncology Research & Development

Ortho Biotech Oncology Research & Development, a unit of Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, is a research and development organization that strives to transform cancer to a preventable, chronic or curable disease by delivering extraordinary and accessible diagnostic and therapeutic solutions that prolong and improve patients’ lives.

About Massachusetts General Hospital

Celebrating the 200th anniversary of its founding in 1811, Massachusetts General Hospital is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with an annual research budget of more than $600 million and major research centers in AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, human genetics, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, systems biology, transplantation biology and photomedicine. For more information visit http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/.

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Abbott Labs Seeks FDA 510(k) Clearance For New Automated Ovarian Cancer Detection Test

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A new diagnostic tool physicians can use to monitor patients for the most common form of ovarian cancer may soon be available in the United States.

Abbott Laboratories’ ARCHITECT HE4 assay uses a simple blood test to help in monitoring for the recurrence or progression of epithelial ovarian cancer. If approved by the FDA, this important immunoassay would be the first automated HE4 test available in the United States.

A new diagnostic tool physicians can use to monitor patients for the most common form of ovarian cancer may soon be available in the United States.  Abbott Laboratories’ (Abbott’s) ARCHITECT [Human Epididymal Protein 4] HE4 assay uses a simple blood test to help in monitoring for the recurrence or progression of epithelial ovarian cancer. If approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), this important immunoassay would be the first automated HE4 test available in the United States.

The 2003 Hellstrom et al. study of known ovarian cancer biomarkers found that HE4, which has been detected in high levels in the blood of some ovarian cancer patients, shows the highest sensitivity and specificity of any other marker and is considered the best single marker for stage 1 of the disease.

According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate of ovarian cancer patients is 46 percent. However, when the disease is diagnosed and treated earlier, the survival rate increases to 93 percent. Less than 20 percent of all ovarian cancer is found in the early stage.

“The ability to monitor the recurrence or progression of ovarian cancer is a critical part of patient care. The ARCHITECT HE4 assay has the potential to be a powerful tool for both physicians and patients in the management of the disease,” said Michael Warmuth, Senior Vice President, Diagnostics, Abbott.

Abbott partnered with Fujirebio Diagnostics, Inc. in the development of the assay. The ARCHITECT HE4 assay is approved for use in Europe, as well as in other countries in Asia Pacific and Latin America. It is currently an investigational device in the United States.

About ARCHITECT HE4 Assay

The ARCHITECT HE4 assay is designed to be used as an aid in monitoring recurrence or progressive disease in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, and must be used in conjunction with other clinical data. The ARCHITECT HE4 assay should not be used as a cancer screening test. In addition, certain types of cancer (e.g., mucinous or germ cell tumors) rarely express HE4, and the use of the ARCHITECT HE4 assay is not recommended for monitoring patients with those types of cancer.

About Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecological cancers and the fifth-leading cause of cancer death in women. An estimated one in 71 women will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetimes. Women who are postmenopausal are at the greatest risk for ovarian cancer.

About Abbott Diagnostics

Abbott Diagnostics is a global leader in in vitro diagnostics (IVD) and offers a broad range of innovative instrument systems and tests for hospitals, reference labs, blood banks, physician offices and clinics. With more than 69,000 institutional customers in more than 100 countries, Abbott’s diagnostic products offer customers automation, convenience, cost effectiveness and flexibility. The history of Abbott Diagnostics is filled with examples of first-of-a-kind products and significant technological advancements, including the development of the very first diagnostic test to detect HIV.

About Abbott’s Diagnostics Businesses

Abbott is a global leader in in vitro diagnostics and offers a broad range of innovative instrument systems and tests for hospitals, reference labs, molecular labs, blood banks, physician offices and clinics. With more than 69,000 customers in more than 100 countries, Abbott’s diagnostic products offer customers automation, convenience, bedside testing, cost effectiveness and flexibility. Abbott has helped transform the practice of medical diagnosis from an art to a science through the company’s commitment to improving patient care and lowering costs.

About Abbott

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs more than 72,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

References:

  • FDA 510(k) Clearances – Overview, Device Approvals & Clearances, Products & Medical Procedures, Medical Devices, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Additional Information:

Anderson GL, McIntosh M, Wu L, et. al. Assessing lead time of selected ovarian cancer biomarkers: a nested case-control study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2010 Jan 6;102(1):26-38. Epub 2009 Dec 30. PubMed PMID: 20042715;PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2802285.

Andersen MR, Goff BA, Lowe KA, et. al. Use of a Symptom Index, CA125, and HE4 to predict ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol. 2009 Nov 27. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 19945742.

Moore RG, McMeekin DS, Brown AK, et. al.  A novel multiple marker bioassay utilizing HE4 and CA125 for the prediction of ovarian cancer in patients with a pelvic mass. Gynecol Oncol. 2009 Jan;112(1):40-6. Epub 2008 Oct 12. PubMed PMID: 18851871.

Hellstrom I, Hellstrom KE. SMRP and HE4 as biomarkers for ovarian carcinoma when used alone and in combination with CA125 and/or each other. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008;622:15-21. Review. PubMed PMID: 18546615.

Havrilesky LJ, Whitehead CM, Rubatt JM, et. al. Evaluation of biomarker panels for early stage ovarian cancer detection and monitoring for disease recurrence. Gynecol Oncol. 2008 Sep;110(3):374-82. Epub 2008 Jun 27. PubMed PMID: 18584856.

Moore RG, Brown AK, Miller MC, et. al. The use of multiple novel tumor biomarkers for the detection of ovarian carcinoma in patients with a pelvic mass. Gynecol Oncol. 2008 Feb;108(2):402-8. Epub 2007 Dec 3. PubMed PMID:  18061248.

Rosen DG, Wang L, Atkinson JN, et. al. Potential markers that complement expression of CA125 in epithelial ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol. 2005 Nov;99(2):267-77. Epub 2005 Aug 2.  PubMed PMID: 16061277.

Drapkin R, von Horsten HH, Lin Y, et. al. Human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) is a secreted glycoprotein that is overexpressed by serous and endometrioid ovarian carcinomas. Cancer Res. 2005 Mar 15;65(6):2162-9. PubMed PMID: 15781627.