Boehringer Ingelheim says DxS deal will strengthen its personalised medicines

Boehringer Ingelheim believes its new agreement with DxS can improve its efforts in the personalised medicine market.

The companies have entered a deal to provide a diagnostic kit for the former’s BIBW 2992 (Tovok) compound to test for transformations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in non-small cell lung cancer sufferers.

Patients with this type of mutated gene are more likely to respond to therapies that target the EGFR /HER2 receptors ? which promote tumour growth.

The compound has also shown potential of working against erlotinib and gefitinib-resistant mutations, meaning Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the only firms developing therapies within the area of personalised medicine.

Designed to detect common mutations of the EGFR gene, DxS’s diagnostic tool is currently being worked on in Manchester.

Corporate senior vice-president of Boehringer Ingelheim’s medicine department Dr Manfred Haehl stated both companies are excited about the developments.

“It is very likely that personalised medicine will play an important role in selecting the most effective treatment for patients with cancer,” he remarked.

Last week, Boehringer Ingelheim announced another partnership with the World Stroke Organization. It is set to become the founding sponsor of an academy to train medical professionals about the condition.