Dako A/S Revolutionizes Cancer Diagnostics With Superfast ISH Technology

GLOSTRUP, DENMARK--(Marketwire - February 06, 2012) - The wait is over for cancer patients: Dako, a global leader in tissue-based cancer diagnostics, now introduces IQISH technology which will allow diagnosis of cancer to go from days to hours in determining the best treatment for the patient.

"Every second counts when you are waiting for test results that will indicate how your cancer is treated most efficiently. We are therefore extremely proud to introduce this new offering within our Molecular Pathology portfolio. Dako's new IQISH technology means shorter time from biopsy to possible vital treatment for cancer patients," says Lars Holmkvist, CEO of Dako.

HER2 IQFISH pharmDx™ and TOP2A IQFISH pharmDx™ are the first two products available using the new fast Dako IQISH technology. The IQISH technology enables laboratories to identify gene status with great accuracy -- and now also very fast.

Laboratories worldwide doing FISH procedures as a tool for correct identification of patients for targeted treatments will benefit from the new Dako IQISH technology.

"IQFISH pharmDx™ will provide more timely results, allowing us to incorporate FISH analysis into our routine workflow as easily as immunohistochemistry," says Kenneth J. Bloom, MD, FCAP, Chief Medical Officer, Clarient Diagnostic Services, Inc, California, US.

With the new IQFISH pharmDx™ kits, a FISH assay can be done fast and efficiently in only three and a half hours instead of two days as before.

"The new protocol yields very distinct signals. And with a protocol duration of only three and a half hours it will be much easier to plan laboratory time and handle urgent cases," says Dr. Viale, Medical Director at Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milano, Italy.

As an added benefit, the buffer is non-toxic, so the teratogenic risk of traditional formamide-containing FISH buffers can be avoided, providing a safer and healthier work environment for the laboratory technicians.

HER2 IQFISH pharmDx™ and TOP2A IQFISH pharmDx™ have received the CE-IVD label and are the first two IQISH products in Dako's Molecular Pathology portfolio. The products will be available in February 2012 in Europe.

About Dako
Dako, based in Denmark, is a global leader in tissue-based cancer diagnostics. Hospital and research laboratories worldwide use Dako's know-how, reagents, instruments and software to make accurate diagnoses and determine the most effective treatment for patients suffering from cancer. Employing more than 1000 people and being present in more than 80 countries, Dako covers essentially all of the anatomic pathology markets globally. Dako is owned by a private equity fund EQT V. www.dako.com