• SKIP TO CONTENT
  • SKIP NAVIGATION
  • Patient Resources
    • Clinical Trial Listings
    • What is Clinical Research?
    • Volunteering for a Clinical Trial
    • Understanding Informed Consent
    • Useful Resources
    • FDA Approved Drugs
  • Professional Resources
    • Research Center Profiles
    • Market Research
    • Benchmark Reports
    • FDA Approved Drugs
    • Training Guides
    • Books
    • eLearning
    • Events
    • Newsletters
    • White Papers
    • SOPs
  • White Papers
  • Clinical Trial Listings
  • Advertise
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Home » OncoCyte, Wistar Institute collaborate for cancer diagnostics

OncoCyte, Wistar Institute collaborate for cancer diagnostics

October 21, 2013
CenterWatch Staff

OncoCyte, a subsidiary of BioTime, has entered into a sponsored research agreement and a material transfer agreement with the Wistar Institute to collaboratively develop lung cancer diagnostic products.

Wistar investigators are conducting a multi-center patient study in which they are assessing gene expression patterns in blood cells of patients with malignant versus non-malignant lung disease. OncoCyte scientists will analyze blood samples obtained from patients in the study to determine levels of tumor-associated proteins using its proprietary PanC-Dx diagnostic tests. PanC-Dx is a class of non-invasive cancer diagnostics based on a proprietary set of cancer markers characterized, in part, by broad gene expression patterns in numerous cancer types.

The inclusion of the PanC-Dx markers in Wistar's ongoing multi-center study may allow OncoCyte to more rapidly develop a diagnostic test for lung cancer to be marketed in the U.S. and other countries. The performance of markers tested in the study in determining the presence or the progression of disease in various categories of patients may determine the specific nature of the lung cancer test to be developed and the regulatory approval pathway that OncoCyte will pursue. OncoCyte will have an option to exclusively license any inventions, discoveries or technology developed by Wistar, or by OncoCyte using Wistar technology, in the course of the collaborative research.

Wistar investigators, led by Louise Showe, Ph.D., previously have demonstrated the feasibility of detecting early stage lung cancer by taking a snapshot of gene activity in circulating blood cells. Lung cancer remains a primary cause of cancer-related death, in part because there is no effective diagnostic test to screen patients for lung cancer at an early stage. The current study is being conducted on patients recruited through grant partners at multiple clinical sites. Already, over 400 patient samples out of a planned total of 600 have been obtained. Completion of the study, which began mid-2012, is expected in mid-2014.

Dr. Showe, a professor in the molecular and cellular oncogenesis program of Wistar’s NCI-designated Cancer Center, said, “There is a large and growing need for more sensitive, cost-effective and less invasive methods to detect and monitor cancer in humans, particularly in lung cancer. In addition to the development of a diagnostic gene panel, our previous studies provided new insights into the interactions of cancer and the immune system.”

“We believe the formula for leadership in the emerging field of regenerative medicine is to have a balanced product development strategy that includes both products like PanC-Dx that may be developed and commercialized in the near term, and therapeutic products derived from pluripotent stem cell technology that will require a longer path to commercialization but that have the potential to successfully treat large patient populations with high unmet medical needs,” said Dr. Michael West, BioTime's CEO. “OncoCyte's diagnostic patient study collaboration with the Wistar Institute is one component of that strategy, as is the recent entry in to human clinicals of Renevia and the development of pluripotent stem cell therapies at some of our subsidiaries, including Asterias Biotherapeutics  and Cell Cure Neurosciences.”

    Upcoming Events

    • 16Oct

      MAGI@home Clinical Research Conference 2023

    • 25Oct

      2023 WCG Patient Forum

    • 26Oct

      FDA in 2024: What to Expect in an Election Year

    Featured Products

    • Surviving an FDA GCP Inspection

      Surviving an FDA GCP Inspection: Resources for Investigators, Sponsors, CROs and IRBs

    • Best Practices for Clinical Trial Site Management

      Best Practices for Clinical Trial Site Management

    Featured Stories

    • Donna Snyder

      New WCG Executive Physician Outlines Goals for Clinical Research

    • Hand Shake at Meeting

      Partnership to Bolster Trials in Low Resource Regions Kicks Off

    • Guidelines-360x240.png

      Major Industry Groups Offer Feedback on ICH’s E6(R3) Guidelines

    • AsktheExpertsBadge-360x240.png

      Ask the Experts: Monitoring

    Standard Operating Procedures for Risk-Based Monitoring of Clinical Trials

    The information you need to adapt your monitoring plan to changing times.

    Learn More Here
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell or Share My Data

    Footer Logo

    300 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22046, USA

    Phone 703.538.7600 – Toll free 888.838.5578

    Copyright © 2023. All Rights Reserved. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing