Dako and Van Andel Research Institute to licence cancer test

Dako has announced a new collaboration with the Van Andel Research Institute, focusing on the licensing of a new cancer diagnostic tool.

The agreement will see the two organisations manufacturing and distributing cancer diagnostics utilising the MET4 antibody, which can be used to detect the MET cancer-causing gene in human tumours.

This antibody has been shown to provide exceptional performance using routine immunohistochemical procedures and could help pharmaceutical companies to identify patients who may benefit from MET-targeted therapies.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Dako will create a range of diagnostic tools and will also hold the rights to create MET4 companion diagnostic assays.

Lars Holmkvist, chief executive officer of Dako, said: "The application of the MET4 antibody in Dako's extensive pharmDx development pipeline will expand the growing numbers of high-quality companion diagnostic pharmDx kit solutions released from Dako."

This comes after the firm agreed a pair of collaborative deals with Amgen earlier this year on the development of oncology diagnostics.