Qiagen to develop diagnostic test for AstraZeneca

Qiagen has agreed to partner with AstraZeneca to develop a liquid biopsy-based companion diagnostic test to accompany one of the pharmaceutical company's lung cancer drugs.

Building on a master framework agreement signed by both companies in 2013, the partnership will involve the creation of a diagnostic test that analyses plasma samples to assess EGFR mutation status in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

The device will be paired with AstraZeneca's therapy Iressa and will help guide treatment strategies with the oral anti-cancer monotherapy when tumour tissue is not available.

Qiagen already offers the therascreen EGFR RGQ PCR Kit as a tissue-based companion diagnostic for lung cancer patients, with this product having already been launched in both the US and China.

Peer Schatz, chief executive officer of Qiagen, said: "We are very pleased to collaborate with AstraZeneca in developing this new tool to improve life for lung cancer patients."

This comes after the firm allied with Lilly earlier this year on the development of companion diagnostics for simultaneous analysis of DNA and RNA biomarkers in common cancers.