Allegro Diagnostics in Licensing Agreement with Universities

Allegro Diagnostics (Maynard, MA, USA), a molecular diagnostics company, has signed an exclusive license agreement for intellectual property related to its molecular testing platform with Boston University (Boston, MA, USA) and the University of Utah Foundation (Salt Lake City, UT, USA). The platform uses gene expression of normal epithelial cells in the respiratory tract for early detection of lung cancer.

The platform is based on the "field of injury" principle that refers to the common molecular response that occurs throughout the respiratory tract of smokers and past-smokers. A gene expression signature from nonmalignant airway cells can detect changes and indicate the presence of malignancy remotely in the lung. The first commercial application of this platform is the BronchoGen genomic test, which potentially can be incorporated into standard bronchoscopy procedures providing additional critical diagnostic information for faster diagnosis and treatment.

"Allegro Diagnostics is committed to bringing early lung cancer detection to the standard of care. The licensing agreement with Boston University and the University of Utah Foundation helps us to achieve that goal by supporting our continued advancement of this breakthrough platform, including the planned commercial launch of BronchoGen in the first half of 2012," said Mike Webb, president and CEO of Allegro Diagnostics.

"We believe that Allegro's application of this platform to innovative genomic tests will change the future of diagnosing lung cancer, with the ultimate potential of saving lives," said Avrum Spira, MD, MSc, director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Boston University and cofounder of Allegro.

Related Links:
Allegro Diagnostics
Boston University
University of Utah Foundation