DxS is a personalised medicine company providing molecular diagnostics to aid doctors and drug companies in selecting therapies for patients. Working in partnership with pharmaceutical companies, DxS support the development and sales of targeted cancer therapies by providing biomarkers and companion diagnostics.
Founded in 2001 by ex-AstraZeneca executives, Dr Stephen Little and Dr David Whitcombe, DxS have a continually expanding portfolio of cancer mutation products. Their TheraScreen® Mutation Kits are a range of CE-marked clinical diagnostics that can identify genetic tumour mutations that affect a patient’s response to cancer therapies thus enabling doctors to provide the most beneficial treatment. DxS have two clinical diagnostic kits, K-RAS and EGFR29.
The TheraScreen: K-RAS Mutation Kit was the world’s first companion diagnostic developed to support Vectibix® (Amgen) and later Erbitux® (Merck KGaA) for the treatment of colorectal cancer. In 2008 DxS signed an exclusive global distribution deal with Roche Diagnostics for the distribution of their TheraScreen: K-RAS and TheraScreen: EGFR29 Mutation Kits.
DxS also provide a range of validated biomarker assays for research use in clinical trials that include mutation test kits to detect mutations in K-RAS, EGFR29, B-RAF and PI3K genes.
Each real-time PCR kit is based on DxS’ patented Scorpions® and ARMS® (allele specific PCR) technologies which create highly sensitive and robust tests that can detect 1% of mutant in a background of wild type DNA and detects mutations frequently missed by traditional sequencing methods. This class-leading technology is also available for licence to diagnostic companies, for research, and a host of other varied applications.
DxS is a private, venture capital-backed company located in the heart of Manchester’s Technology quarter.
http://www.dxsdiagnostics.com/
Date: 02.02.2009
