A Medical Device Daily

Clinical Data (Newton, Massachusetts) reported that it has entered into an agreement with the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research of the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota), granting Clinical Data a license under a variety of patents and patent applications to provide testing of the UGT1A1 gene.

The company also reported that it has exclusively licensed to Mayo Clinic certain of its own UGT1A1-related patent rights.

UGT1A1 is involved in metabolism of irinotecan (Camptosar), a commonly prescribed first-line treatment for advanced colorectal cancer. Though effective, irinotecan can cause dangerous or lethal reactions in up to 30% of the population due to the inability to properly metabolize the drug.

The FDA has recently revised the labeling for Camptosar to recommend reduced dosing in patients who test homozygous for the *28 variant of UGT1A1.

An estimated 145,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, making it the third most common cancer. Up to 50% of cases are candidates for irinotecan therapy.

“By reaching this agreement with Mayo Clinic, Clinical Data is now among a select group of laboratories licensed to offer a pharmacogenomic test for UGT1A1*28,” said Drew Fromkin, president/CEO of Clinical Data. This important test marks our second pharmacogenomic assay in the oncology sector. Additionally, by out-licensing our own UGT1A1-related IP to Mayo Clinic, Clinical Data is enabling Mayo’s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology to continue further development of assays addressing this important pathway.”

Clinical Data provides molecular and pharmacogenomics services as well as genetic tests to improve patient care.

In other dealmaking activity: Prime Companies (Yuba City, California) reported that it has completed the purchase of certain assets from Dental Insite (Lakewood, Colorado), including Dental Insite source code, all its rights and its customer base. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“Coupling Prime Companies’ recent acquisition of certain of CRT’s leading-edge Digital Dental Technology products, with Dental Insite Practice Management Software will afford a total integrated solution to the Dental Industry inclusive of a HIPAA compliant record keeping, billing and practice management software,” said Norbert Lima, president/CEO of Prime.

Dental Insite is a software company serving the dental industries in Colorado and the Midwest with products designed to facilitate doctor-patient management and incorporating HIPAA-compliant record keeping, billing and practice management software.