US-based laboratory diagnostics provider med fusion has introduced a new plasma-based epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) liquid biopsy service, which is integrated with Swiss healthcare firm Roche’s cobas EGFR mutation test v2.
Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the cobas mutation test is designed to detect 42 mutations in the EGFR gene.
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The test enables physicians to decide the eligibility of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients for treatment with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).
med fusion chief executive officer Jon Hart said: “med fusion’s ultimate goal is to improve patient care by providing responsible precision medicine solutions.
“Expanding our menu to include the EGFR liquid biopsy test helps us accomplish our goal by providing physicians with a reliable, non-invasive test to determine EGFR mutation status and related treatment options for their NSCLC patients when tissue biopsies are not available.”
The firm’s new service complements its current LungSEQ and 50SEQ Plus FISH decision support tools.
The non-invasive test uses a blood sample to perform EGFR mutation testing when it is not possible to obtain tissue biopsies or in the case of insufficient availability of specimen.
Roche Diagnostics president and chief executive officer Jack Phillips said: “We’re honoured that med fusion is using Roche’s test as the basis for their EGFR liquid biopsy service.
“This is a service that will benefit their network of physicians and the lung cancer patients they serve, and we are proud to be part of it.”
In June 2012, Roche established a strategic partnership with med fusion, recognising it as a Roche Molecular Centre of Excellence (MCOE).
med fusion provides new and advanced molecular diagnostics to physicians and patients.
