Reference Lab Analyzes Cancers From Patients

A specialty reference laboratory utilizes discoveries from the Human Genome Project to analyze cancers from individual patients.

Called the Molecular Profiling Institute Inc. (MPI), the laboratory was formed by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (Tgen) and the International Genomics Consortium (IGC), all based in Phoenix (AZ, USA). MPI's first molecular profile program, called Target Now, is available to cancer patients for whom all standard therapies have failed. These patients can have their cancer sampled, profiled, and assessed to determine if one or more drug targets can be identified in their tumor tissue. MPI has formed a strategic partnership with AmeriPath, a leading U.S. anatomic pathology laboratory, whereby AmeriPath will use MPI for its advanced esoteric reference lab and provide assistance with co-marketing and sales.

MPI has also entered into an initial licensing agreement with Agendia (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), whereby MPI is the sole provider in the United States of MammaPrint, a microarray assay used to provide important prognostic information for women with early invasive breast cancer.

"By identifying the individual molecular profile of a person's cancer, MPI helps oncologists and pathologists to provide better customized therapeutic options for their patients,” noted Robert J. Penny, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of MPI.



Related Links:
Translational Genomics
International Genomics Research Inst.