We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Qiagen, Therawis Diagnostics to Develop Breast Cancer Test
Read MoreHide Full Article
Qiagen NV (QGEN - Free Report) recently signed a licensing and co-development agreement with Germany’s Therawis Diagnostics GmbH to jointly develop and market predictive tests to detect cancer, particularly breast cancer. With the global cancer diagnostic market expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% to $168.6 billion by 2020, we expect Qiagen to garner higher profits on account of this collaboration.
Per management, this collaboration will address unmet needs in breast cancer treatment that in turn will help physicians take improved clinical decisions.
As part of this project, Qiagen and Therawis Diagnostics initially plan to market the latter’s clinically validated PITX2 diagnostic assay. In particular, PITX2 test can predict effectiveness of anthracycline – a chemotherapy agent – in the treatment of triple negative and other high-risk breast cancer patients.
Since this test caters to the most common malignancy affecting the women folk globally, management at Qiagen expects this collaboration to make a meaningful addition to its portfolio, which already covers a series of Sample to Insight solutions. This in turn is expected to speed up the company’s progress in personalized healthcare space.
At present, almost 1.7 million new breast cancer cases are reported every year, as per the estimates provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). As per the current clinical guidelines, anthracycline-based chemotherapy is a standard treatment option offered to high-risk breast cancer patients.
Although the response rate of this chemotherapy agent is 50% or less, its side effects can be severe, like congestive heart failure or leukemia which in turn can increase the patient’s mortality rate. In case of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), only 35% of the patients respond to chemotherapy.
This indicates the need for a reliable test to identify the patient pool that will actually benefit from chemotherapy. Interestingly, the PITX2 test is one such assay that saves breast cancer patients who need not go through chemotherapy. To date, the PITX2 biomarker has demonstrated unprecedented predictive value in triple-negative and other high-risk breast cancer.
As PITX2 is available only in Germany, we expect this collaboration to broaden the availability of this test worldwide, which in turn will prove beneficial to breast cancer patients. This will also boost test revenues for both Qiagen and Therawis Diagnostics. Going forward, the companies aim at co-developing more such tests in the oncology space.
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked medical stocks are SurModics, Inc. (SRDX - Free Report) , Baxter International Inc. (BAX - Free Report) and Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX - Free Report) . While SurModics and Baxter sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Boston Scientific carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>
Unique Zacks Analysis of Your Chosen Ticker
Pick one free report - opportunity may be withdrawn at any time
Image: Bigstock
Qiagen, Therawis Diagnostics to Develop Breast Cancer Test
Qiagen NV (QGEN - Free Report) recently signed a licensing and co-development agreement with Germany’s Therawis Diagnostics GmbH to jointly develop and market predictive tests to detect cancer, particularly breast cancer. With the global cancer diagnostic market expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% to $168.6 billion by 2020, we expect Qiagen to garner higher profits on account of this collaboration.
Per management, this collaboration will address unmet needs in breast cancer treatment that in turn will help physicians take improved clinical decisions.
As part of this project, Qiagen and Therawis Diagnostics initially plan to market the latter’s clinically validated PITX2 diagnostic assay. In particular, PITX2 test can predict effectiveness of anthracycline – a chemotherapy agent – in the treatment of triple negative and other high-risk breast cancer patients.
Since this test caters to the most common malignancy affecting the women folk globally, management at Qiagen expects this collaboration to make a meaningful addition to its portfolio, which already covers a series of Sample to Insight solutions. This in turn is expected to speed up the company’s progress in personalized healthcare space.
At present, almost 1.7 million new breast cancer cases are reported every year, as per the estimates provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). As per the current clinical guidelines, anthracycline-based chemotherapy is a standard treatment option offered to high-risk breast cancer patients.
Although the response rate of this chemotherapy agent is 50% or less, its side effects can be severe, like congestive heart failure or leukemia which in turn can increase the patient’s mortality rate. In case of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), only 35% of the patients respond to chemotherapy.
This indicates the need for a reliable test to identify the patient pool that will actually benefit from chemotherapy. Interestingly, the PITX2 test is one such assay that saves breast cancer patients who need not go through chemotherapy. To date, the PITX2 biomarker has demonstrated unprecedented predictive value in triple-negative and other high-risk breast cancer.
As PITX2 is available only in Germany, we expect this collaboration to broaden the availability of this test worldwide, which in turn will prove beneficial to breast cancer patients. This will also boost test revenues for both Qiagen and Therawis Diagnostics. Going forward, the companies aim at co-developing more such tests in the oncology space.
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked medical stocks are SurModics, Inc. (SRDX - Free Report) , Baxter International Inc. (BAX - Free Report) and Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX - Free Report) . While SurModics and Baxter sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Boston Scientific carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>