Predictive Markers Identified for Pancreatic Cancer Survival

New predictive markers for pancreatic cancer survival resulted from a technology platform used for the first time as part of a phase III clinical trial.

Identification of the new biomarkers will help prepare a market authorization request for masitinib, an AB Science molecule used for treating pancreatic cancer. The companion diagnostic developed by Skuldtech (Montpellier, France) from these biomarkers will make it possible to identify patients most likely to benefit from the new treatment.

The survival markers were identified during a clinical study, whose purpose was to evaluate the therapeutic efficiency of a new treatment combining AB Science's masitinib and gemcitabine, compared to the current standard pancreatic cancer treatment of gemcitabine only.

Based on its technological approach, associating gene sequencing with its proprietary bioinformatic tools and gene profiling studies (transcriptome) on blood samples, Skuldtech has identified several sets of blood biomarkers associated with the different groups of patients treated in this phase III clinical trial.

The first part of the protocol was to collect a blood sample from each patient before treatment, establish its transcriptome and associate it with the patient's clinical progress. Then significant bioinformatic and biostatistical processing enabled the isolation of biological markers associated with each patient group, with patients grouped according to their overall survival. These biomarkers will be used for developing future diagnostics that will help choose the treatment and establish clinical prognostics for patients.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that new biological markers have been discovered during a phase III clinical trial. These markers are both specific to the drug being developed and associated with positive patient response," said Didier Ritter, CEO, Skuldtech.

The technology platform associates high-throughput sequencing, quantitative RT-PCR, proprietary bioinformatics, and biostatistics programs.

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