London Hospitals First in UK to Perform Study Utilizing Pathwork Tissue of Origin Test
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Pathwork Diagnostics, a molecular diagnostics company focused on oncology, announced today a collaboration with Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London. Guy's and St Thomas' will be the first hospitals in the United Kingdom to conduct a research study on the Pathwork(R) Tissue of Origin Test, which aids in the diagnosis of hard-to-identify tumors.
"We're extremely excited about entering into this partnership with Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust," said Deborah J. Neff, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pathwork Diagnostics. "In this study, pathologists and oncologists at Guy's and St Thomas' will not only be able to validate the test for use in their institution, but more importantly, soon be able to use information generated to help them determine the most effective, cancer-specific treatment regimen for hard-to-diagnose cases."
In the collaboration, Dr. Giuseppe Culora, the clinical director, and Dr. Eugene Halligan, the scientific director, are performing a proof-of-concept validation study. "Since patients with cancer of unknown primary have a very poor prognosis, we hope that with this novel diagnostic test our oncologists will have new information at their fingertips to guide treatment and be able to offer a better standard-of-care for our cancer patients," said Dr. Culora.
The Pathwork Tissue of Origin Test uses a microarray to measure the RNA expression pattern, comprising more than 1,500 genes, in the tumor and compares it to expression patterns of a panel of 15 known tumor types, representing 60 morphologies overall, to help determine the tumor's origin. Earlier this year, Pathwork became the first U.S.-based company to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for a molecular diagnostics test under the FDA's new IVDMIA (In Vitro Diagnostic Multivariate Index Assays) guidelines.
About Pathwork Diagnostics
Pathwork Diagnostics, Inc., based in Sunnyvale, Calif., develops and commercializes high-value molecular diagnostics for oncology. The company's first test to market - the Pathwork(R) Tissue of Origin Test - utilizes proprietary analytics and a companion Pathchip(R) microarray, which runs on the proven Affymetrix GeneChip(R) System. The test aids in determining a hard-to-identify tumor's origin so that standard-of-care, cancer-specific treatment can begin. The test is FDA-cleared as an in vitro diagnostic kit, while a functionally equivalent version of the test is also available through the CLIA-certified Pathwork(R) Diagnostics Laboratory. For more information, call 1.877.808.0006 or visit www.pathworkdx.com.
About Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Guy's and St Thomas' provides around 3/4 million patient contacts in acute and specialist hospital services every year. As one of the biggest NHS Trusts in the UK, it employs over 9,000 staff. The Trust works in partnership with the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Biomedical Sciences of King's College London and other Higher Education Institutes to deliver high quality education and research. Website: www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk.
King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are working together to create a world-leading Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC). AHSC brings together an unrivalled range and depth of clinical and research expertise, spanning both physical and mental health. The combined strengths will drive improvements in care for patients, allowing them to benefit from breakthroughs in medical science and receive leading edge treatment at the earliest possible opportunity. For more information, visit www.londonsahsc.org.
(C)2008 Pathwork Diagnostics, Inc. All rights reserved. Pathwork, Pathchip, Pathwork Diagnostics, and the Pathwork Diagnostics logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pathwork Diagnostics, Inc. Other names may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Scott Shadiow, +1-415-515-0786, media@pathworkdx.com
Web site: http://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/
http://www.londonsahsc.org/
http://www.pathworkdx.com/
