HTG Molecular Diagnostics Licenses Breast Cancer Marker Patent Portfolio From Merck
Tucson, AZ (Marketwire) - HTG Molecular Diagnostics, a privately held, Tucson-based developer of mRNA and miRNA gene expression-based cancer diagnostics, has been granted a non-exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize breast cancer diagnostic tests under Merck's patent portfolio. The Netherlands Cancer Institute is a co-owner of patents and applications in this portfolio.
TJ Johnson, CEO of HTG Molecular Diagnostics, states, "The ability to accurately, quickly, and locally assess a patient's likelihood to have recurrent breast cancer will help improve patient care in the era of personalized medicine. Most breast cancer risk testing is currently run at a few specialty laboratories which often take weeks to return results to treating physicians and nervous patients. As part of our IVD pipeline development, HTG Molecular Diagnostics intends to pursue FDA approvals for tests that provide compelling medical value and to make those standardized tests available to local laboratories via proprietary automation and content. This patent portfolio license from Merck gives HTG access to key intellectual property to bring valuable breast cancer tests to market."
About HTG Molecular Diagnostics:
HTG Molecular Diagnostics is a privately held company providing products for gene expression profiling, miRNA, and mRNA measurement for clinical research, companion diagnostic and prognostic applications in oncology. The company's qNPA molecular technology platform is well-suited for reliably detecting changes in gene expression levels especially from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue. Additional information is available at www.htgmolecular.com.
About Breast Cancer And Gene Expression Testing:
In 2011 there were more than 250,000 new breast cancer cases diagnosed in the United States. These patients have a varying degree of risk of cancer recurrence based on genetic and environmental factors. Those breast cancers less likely to recur can be treated with less aggressive therapy approaches. However cancers most likely to recur require aggressive chemotherapy for positive response and patient outcome. Genetic profiling or gene expression offers the possibility of improving risk prediction and optimizing treatment selection for individual patients.
SOURCE: HTG Molecular Diagnostics