Collaboration Develops Companion Diagnostic Test for Cancer Therapy

The Abbott FISH assay will be evaluated in clinical trials to help identify patients more likely to respond favorably to Merck’s investigational cancer therapy. FISH technology has a variety of uses. It can identify whether too many, or too few, copies of a particular gene are present in the body's cells or whether certain genes have rearrangements that play an active role in disease progression. Cancer diagnostics is one of the fastest growing applications.

D. Stafford O’Kelly, MBA, head of Abbott’s molecular diagnostics business, said, "Our goal through this collaboration, and others like it, is to ensure that the right medicine gets to the right patient. As one of the early pioneers in companion diagnostics, we believe that linking genetic testing with drug development at the earliest stages can increase the effectiveness and predictability of medicines and help physicians make more informed treatment decisions."

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