med fusion and Theranostics Health are planning to work together to validate the clinical utility of the latter’s TheraLink™ Assays for use as molecular diagnostic aids in therapeutic decision making. The assays are based on measuring the activation status of signal transduction pathways involved in the development and growth of human cancers, to provide oncologists with a molecular map of each tumor’s molecular pattern of aberrant signalling.

Under terms of the market development agreement the two firms will work together to provide clinical validation of TheraLink Assays, in part through clinical trials carried out by med fusion. The firms will in addition carry out promotional, marketing, and sales-related activities.

med fusion is a laboratory reference testing and clinical trials services company located in Texas. It says the deal with Theranostics will support existing and future collaborations aimed at promoting initiatives in targeted diagnostics. “This market development agreement with Theranostics Health will advance med fusion’s objective to be on the leading edge of technology and help ensure that we are supporting physicians and patients with the most advanced molecular technologies,” comments CMO Thomas Lohmann, M.D.

Theranostics is exploiting core technologies, including laser-capture microdissection and reverse-phase protein microarrays, to provide quantitative measurements of proteins involved in key signaling pathways. The firm holds an exclusive license from NIH to commercialize LCM isolation of cells with proteomic analysis for cancer diagnostics and companion diagnostics. Theranostics’ business strategy is two-fold: provision of its expertise as protein-based translational research services to drug development companies and academic institutions for biomarker and companion diagnostic purposes; and the development of clinical tests that will enable physicians to tailor optimized therapies for patients based on the biomarker profile of each patient’s cancer or disease specimen.

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