Date: 2012-01-10
Type of information: Licensing agreement
Compound: ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) biomarker
Company: Qiagen (The Netherlands) Insight Genetics (USA)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: co-development
licensing
Action mechanism:
Disease: lung cancer
Details: Qiagen has entered into a strategic co-development partnership and licensing agreement with Insight Genetics, Inc. of Nashville, Tennessee, for a genetic test covering the ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) biomarker, a promising target for a novel class of lung cancer drugs. The strategic co-development partnership and licensing agreement with Insight Genetics gives Qiagen worldwide exclusive rights to Insight Genetics’ diagnostic IP to the ALK gene. The companies will collaborate in the development of a corresponding test that can be clinically validated and marketed by Qiagen as a companion diagnostic.
Mutations of ALK are implicated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other cancers, and several anticancer compounds known as ALK inhibitors, are in clinical trials. One ALK inhibitor has been approved by the FDA, but it is currently paired with a diagnostic method that can be technically challenging and costly.
Financial terms: Financial terms were not disclosed
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