Abbott, Merck In Companion Diagnostic Pact

Abbott and Merck have entered a collaboration to evaluate the use of a FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization)-based companion diagnostic test to aid in the development of a Merck investigational cancer therapy. Abbott’s FISH-based companion diagnostic tests are designed to identify specific DNA sequences to help determine which patients are more or less likely to benefit from a particular therapy.
 
Abbott will develop a test based on its FISH technology to identify deletions of the TP53 gene in cancer patients. The Abbott FISH assay will be evaluated in clinical trials to help identify patients more likely to respond to Merck’s cancer therapy.
 
“Our goal through this collaboration, and others like it, is to ensure that the right medicine gets to the right patient,” said Stafford O’Kelly, head of Abbott’s molecular diagnostics business. “As one of the early pioneers in companion diagnostics, we believe that linking genetic testing with drug development at the earliest stages can increase the effectiveness and predictability of medicines and help physicians make more informed treatment decisions.”