Exiqon Diagnostics, Inc. Announces KRAS Mutation Analysis for Predicting Therapeutic Response in Colorectal and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

VEDBAEK, Denmark, May 11, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exiqon Diagnostics announced today that it now offers KRAS Mutation Analysis through its CLIA laboratory in California. Cancer treating physicians now have access to this critical test for their advanced stage colorectal and non-small cell lung cancer patients who are candidates for anti-EGFR therapy. In the United States, there are approximately 150,000 new colorectal cancer cases and over 200,000 lung cancer cases diagnosed each year.(1) Many of these patients may present with advanced disease. In those cases, confirmed KRAS mutation status is important information for physicians to have when deciding on a treatment regimen that may contain EGFR-targeted therapies. Published clinical studies demonstrate that KRAS gene mutations are associated with poor prognosis and lack of response to EGFR inhibitor therapies.