Amgen and Illumina to develop companion test for Vectibix

Amgen has agreed a deal with Illumina that will see the companies work together on a new companion diagnostic test for the oncology agent Vectibix.

A multigene next-generation sequencing-based test is to be developed and commercialised to help identify patients most likely to benefit from treatment with Vectibix, a metastatic colorectal cancer therapy that has been approved in the US and EU.

The test platform, which would intended for use with Illumina's MiSeqDx instrument, will be able to identify the RAS mutation status of patients who would be appropriate to receive the Amgen drug.

This will bolster Amgen's capabilities in the increasingly important field of personalised medicine.

Nick Naclerio, senior vice-president of corporate and venture development and general manager of Illumina's enterprise informatics business, said: "Amgen is a key partner given their leadership in therapeutic development and strong track record in commercialising novel products."

This comes in the same week that Amgen announced a new research collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute, focusing on inflammatory bowel disease.