A Medical Device Daily

Response Genetics (Los Angeles), a company focused on molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, reported signing an amended and restated master service agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (London).

This agreement extends the agreement between the companies for a two-year period and names Response Genetics as preferred provider of genetic testing services to GlaxoSmithKline and its affiliated companies. In anticipation of 2009 services, GlaxoSmithKline agreed to make an up-front payment to Response Genetics of $1.3 million before the end of 2008.

"We are very pleased to continue supporting GlaxoSmithKline's clinical trial development program," said Kathleen Danenberg, Response Genetics president/CEO. "Our collaborative relationship underscores the value our service and patented technology brings to pharmaceutical partners like GlaxoSmithKline, in helping them develop new cancer-fighting therapies."

Response Genetics' patented diagnostic technology and services are also commercially available to physicians through the company's ResponseDX: Lung and ResponseDX: Colon tests.

By providing information on a panel of molecular markers, these PCR-based genetic tests can help physicians with therapeutic treatment decisions in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer.