A Diagnostics & Imaging Week

Metabolon (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina), a company focused on metabolomics-driven biomarker discovery and analysis, reported a collaboration with the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR; Pisa, Italy).

The EGIR has compiled large numbers of biological samples from studies conducted at 19 clinical research centers across Europe in an effort to understand insulin resistance and how it affects disease. Metabolon will discover and validate the biomarkers found in these samples that relate to insulin resistance. Those markers will be used to help further develop Metabolon's diagnostic test for pre-diabetic patients.

"This collaboration with EGIR will help Metabolon accelerate the development of Quantose IR, our diagnostic test for better screening of pre-diabetic patients," said Dr. John Ryals, president/CEO of Metabolon."This routine test will help identify pre-diabetic patients years before they become diabetic. With this information in hand, doctors can intervene with lifestyle or drug therapies which may delay or prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes."

Insulin resistance is estimated to affect about one-third of the adult population in the U.S. alone about 75 million people. One of the primary contributors to the development of Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance is characteristically an asymptomatic condition that precedes the development of diabetes by many years.

"We are [pleased] to be working with Metabolon in analyzing our samples," said Dr. Ele Ferrannini, principal investigator at the University of Pisa and coordinator of the EGIR's Relationship between Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Disease project. This biomarker discovery platform"will give us valuable insight into the biochemical changes related to insulin resistance," he said.

EGIR is a group of investigators with different research backgrounds epidemiology, endocrinology, basic science and public health interested in insulin resistance.

Affymetrix microarrays in Parsi genetic study

Affymetrix (Santa Clara, California) reported that it has signed an agreement with Avesthagen Limited (Bangalore, India) a biotechnology company. Affymetrix' microarray technology will be used for The AVESTAGENOME Project, a genetic study of more than 60,000 Parsi individuals. The project will explore the genetic basis of longevity and create a genetic, genealogic and medical database of the Parsi-Zoroastrian population.

About 31% of the Parsi population lives beyond the age of 60, compared to 7% of the total Indian population. A better understanding of the genetic causes of longevity could have a major impact on the Indian Government's healthcare budget and drug companies' marketing efforts.

The use of Affymetrix technology will enable researchers to correlate genes with longevity, as well as neurodegenerative conditions, breast cancer, diabetes and other complex diseases that affect the Parsi community. The Parsi community was selected because of its longevity and its relatively genetically homogeneous population. The AVESTAGENOME Project was designed to lead to discovery of novel biomarkers and drug targets that can result in predictive, preventive and personalized healthcare.

Spinco Biotech (Chennai, India) will supply the Affymetrix microarray technology and provide technical support to Avesthagen. Since being founded in 1981, Spinco Biotech has grown into a leading distributor of instrumentation and reagents for the biotechnology research and industrial markets across India.

Affymetrix develops tools for analyzing genetic information.

Telemedicus (Houston) reported that it has secured a supply agreement with Anthro (Tualatin, Oregon).

"We are securing supply agreements and terms to ensure their availability, lead times and exact pricing," said Steve Price, COO of Telemedicus."Anthro is a manufacturer of medical equipment stands that we can utilize in clinic settings."

TMDI's DREAMS technology turns ambulances, clinics or medical transportation vehicles into mobile trauma centers or tele-healthcare locations. The technology integrates components manufactured by Advantech (Cincinnati), Cisco (San Jose, California) and Panasonic (Secaucus, New Jersey).

Telemedicus develops mobile medical communications technology using bi-directional audio, video and patient data communication between a remote unit such as a rural ambulance service and the physician in a hospital.

Amgen, Lab21 in predictive partnership

Amgen Limited UK and Lab21 (both Cambridge, UK) have unveiled a partnership to introduce a new genetic therapy test for advanced bowel cancer treatment in the UK.

Lab21 will provide a screening test to indicate which patients are likely to benefit from Amgen's new drug for advanced bowel cancer, Vectibix (panitumumab). It is the first time that the European Commission has licensed a bowel cancer product with the stipulation that a predictive test be carried out.

The Lab 21 test was developed by DxS Ltd., a developer of biomarker assays and companion diagnostics for targeted cancer therapies.

Introduced to the UK earlier this year, Vectibix is licensed for patients with metastatic bowel cancer for whom standard chemotherapy has failed in those with a specific gene mutation.

In a biomarker analysis of the pivotal clinical trial, the drug doubled median progression-free survival in patients with non-mutated (wild type) KRAS (Kirsten Rat Sarcoma 2 viral oncogene homologue) compared with patients receiving best supportive care alone.

Amgen scientists had discovered that only those patients with the non-mutated (wild type) KRAS would respond to Vectibix. Patients with metastatic bowel cancer will be tested for the presence of the wild type KRAS gene before they are prescribed the drug.

About 60% of patients with advanced bowel cancer have wild type KRAS. Of these, up to 60% would be expected to respond to Vectibix. More than 36,000 people in Britain develop bowel cancer every year and about 21,000 have metastatic cancer at any one time.

Dr. Berwyn Clarke, chief scientific officer at Lab21, said,"We are committed to providing a fully comprehensive service for cancer patients and believe that the KRAS test is an important component. Being able to select which patients are more likely to respond to therapy is an important step forward in the treatment of cancer."