Leo Pharma research yields lymphoma diagnosis breakthrough

Leo Pharma has published findings from a new study that could open the door for faster and more accurate diagnoses of lymphoma of the skin.

The pharmaceutical company has allied with Exiqon, the University of Copenhagen, Gentofte Hospital and Rigshospitalet over the past three years on new technology to differentiate healthy cell patterns from diseased ones.

By examining 200 skin disease patients, it has been found that examining three types of microRNA molecules can allow clinicians to distinguish lymphoma from conditions such as psoriasis and eczema with 95 percent accuracy.

This represents a major advance, as it can normally take several years before a conclusive diagnosis of this serious disease can be reached.

Mads Ropke, senior research scientist at Leo Pharma, said: "Our findings can be used to target treatment options more specifically at the individual patient, as well as developing brand new treatment principles in the future."

In July 2011, the company announced a new collaboration with the Scripps Research Institute to create innovative new skin disease treatment methods.