Biosite, Oxford Genome Sciences to collaborate on diagnostic product for colorectal cancer

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, April 4 - Biosite Inc. and privately held Oxford Genome Sciences Ltd. announced Tuesday a collaboration for the evaluation of protein-based disease markers for colorectal cancer.

The markers could be used to develop potential blood-based diagnostic products aimed at expanding personalized therapeutic options for colorectal cancer, according to a company news release.

In particular, these blood-based diagnostics would be designed to enable the early identification of colorectal cancer patients that have relapsed, thus enabling clinicians to select the most appropriate therapeutic option, officials said.

Today, the fecal occult blood test and colonoscopy, a highly invasive procedure, are the most frequently used screening and diagnostic methods for colorectal cancer, which has a 30% to 40% recurrence rate within an average of 18 months after primary diagnosis.

Oxford Genome said it has developed a database (the Oxford Genome Anatomy Project or OGAP) that integrates genomic, proteomic and clinical information derived from blood and tissue studies for a large number of diseases.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Oxford Genome will identify at least 25 proteins discovered in blood and tissue samples from relapsing colorectal cancer patients. Biosite said it will have the rights to develop blood-based diagnostic tests using one or more of those biomarkers.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"We are increasingly interested in studying selected areas of cancer that can benefit from rapid, effective, non-invasive diagnostic technologies," Kim Blickenstaff, Biosite chairman and chief executive officer, said in the release.

Oxford Genome, based near Oxford, England, is focused on the development of personalized medicines, mainly for oncology indications.

Biosite is a San Diego biomedical company commercializing proteomics discoveries for the advancement of medical diagnosis. Biosite's Triage rapid diagnostics are used in about 50% of U.S. hospitals and in more than 50 international markets.

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