Pfizer and Qiagen subsidiary DxS have entered into an agreement to develop a companion diagnostic test kit for PF-04948568, an immunotherapy vaccine in development to treat brain tumours.
Pfizer and Celldex Therapeutics entered into an agreement in April 2008 to grant Pfizer exclusive worldwide licence to PF-04948568 (CDX-110), which is in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumours.
The EGFRvIII companion diagnostic will be a real-time PCR assay used to detect EGFRvIII RNA in tumour tissue.
Qiagen vice-president of personalised healthcare Stephen Little said that the company looks forward to collaborating with QIAGEN's DxS unit in the development of this important diagnostic tool.
"This important diagnostic tool could potentially help physicians better define the most appropriate treatment for patients who suffer from GBM," Little said.
