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Pharmaceutical industry

Insight Genetics Awarded $200,000 Contract for Lung Cancer Diagnostic Test

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Insight Genetics has been selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop a new test for lung cancer patients under a $200,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. As part of the contract, Insight Genetics will further validate its Insight ALK Screen test, which detects cancer-causing fusions and mutations of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). This test holds the promise of safer, more effective patient care and reduced healthcare costs by identifying which patients are likely to benefit from certain cancer treatments.

Key Takeaways:

  • Insight Genetics has been awarded a $200,000 Phase I SBIR contract from the NCI to develop a new test for lung cancer patients.
  • The contract is part of a solicitation titled, "Companion Diagnostics: Predictive and Prognostic Tests Enabling Personalized Medicine in Cancer Therapy."
  • The Insight ALK Screen test is a real-time PCR-based test that detects cancer-causing fusions and mutations of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK).
  • ALK fusions and mutations have been shown to have a pathogenic role in many types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).
  • The test is being developed and validated in collaboration with Dr. Stephan W. Morris of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
  • As part of its NCI contract, Insight Genetics will determine the reproducibility and accuracy of the test and demonstrate its ability to be used in clinical settings and in concert with ALK-inhibitor medications.
  • The test has the potential to identify 5-10 percent of lung cancers caused by ALK mutations.

Statistics:

  • $200,000: Phase I SBIR contract award value
  • 5-10 percent: Percentage of lung cancers caused by ALK mutations
  • $1,500,000: Potential Phase II SBIR contract award value to complete commercialization of the assay

Sources:

  • Insight Genetics
  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)
  • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
  • Marketwire, Inc. (2010)

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