Abbott to develop companion diagnostic test for Janssen cancer drug

Abbott is allying with Janssen Biotech and Pharmacyclics to create a companion test for an investigational leukaemia drug.

The companies will collaborate to explore the benefits of Abbott's proprietary FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridisation) technology to create a molecular diagnostic test to identify patients with a genetic subtype of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

This will allow clinicians to find patients who may benefit most from treatment with ibrutinib, the oral small molecule inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase that Janssen and Pharmacyclics are currently developing.

It is hoped that this research into personalised therapies will help to deliver better outcomes for patients in future.

John Coulter, vice-president for molecular diagnostics at Abbott, said: "Like Abbott's other collaborations in the area of companion diagnostics, our goal is to leverage molecular technologies to help ensure that the right medicine is getting to the right person."

Last month, the company announced the launch of the Architect Stat High Sensitive Troponin-I Assay, which can help to diagnose heart attacks faster, as well as determining risk for patients who may be likely to suffer a cardiac event in future.