BWH's Mesothelioma Test Acquired by Cancer Diagnostic Company

Cancer-related biotechnology company Castle Biosciences will acquire the mesothelioma testing technology for Brigham and Women's Hospital, one of the world's foremost treatment centers for the rare cancer. The acquisition gives Castle Biosciences exclusive worldwide license to all intellectual property related to the hospital's gene expression test for mesothelioma, known as DecisionDx-Mesothelioma. "We now have a molecular test that alone as well as in conjunction with other simple clinical parameters can help identify patients who most likely to benefit from aggressive surgery as well as assist with fundamental treatment planning," said Dr. Raphael Bueno, Brigham and Women's Hospital's associate chief of thoracic surgery. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, and it is typically diagnosed in later stages. Texas-based Castle Biosciences has hopes that its newly acquired technology will enable earlier diagnoses, leading to long life expectancy for patients. The company intends to make the diagnostic test available within the next few months. From Acquisition to Market The DecisionDx-Mesothelioma test was developed by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a facility whose specialization in was driven by Dr. David Sugarbaker. People suspected of having mesothelioma will have their genetic makeup analyzed for specific gene expressions. Doctors can then piece together these expressions to determine if mesothelioma is the present. Accordin...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Treatment & Doctors Source Type: news