Alliance to Develop New Cancer Diagnostic Tests

New diagnostic tests are to be developed that are based on the TRAIL receptor-1 (Trail-R1) and TRAIL Receptor-2 (TRAIL-2) proteins. TRAIL is the acronym for tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis-inducing ligand.

The TRAIL receptors are found on the surface of a number of solid tumor and hematopoietic cancer cells, and they were discovered by researchers at Human Genome Sciences (HGS, Rockville, MD, USA). Worldwide exclusive rights to develop and commercialize diagnostic tests based on these proteins have been granted to DakoCytomation (Copenhagen, Denmark) by HGSI. According to an agreement with HGSI, DakoCytomation will be the exclusive partner of HGSI for any licensed immunohistochemical diagnostic product based on the TRAIL proteins.

HGSI intends to use experimental immunohistochemical tests developed by DakoCytomation in future clinical trials to explore the correlation between receptor expression and clinical response to treatment with TRAIL-1 or TRAIL-2 agonistic human monoclonal antibodies. DakoCytomation pioneered the concept of pharmacodiagnostics with HercepTest, the first clinical test that helped to assess candidates for a specific targeted therapy.

"The immunohistochemical tests under development as a result of the collaboration between our companies will play an important role in clinical trials in exploring the correlation between TRAIL Receptor-1 and TRAIL Receptor-2 expression and clinical response to treatment of various cancers with TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 agonistic human monoclonal antibodies,” said David C. Stump, M.D., executive vice president, drug development, HGSI.





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