INSTITUTE: Haukeland University Hospital
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The cancer researchers Professors Helga Salvesen and Lars A. Akslen, together with researchers from Harvard and MIT, have discovered novel biomarkers which indicate whether or not a patient has an aggressive form of uterine cancer. The US bio-technology company Ovagene Oncology has now developed a reliable test that quickly can identify which patients suffer from the aggressive form of cancer, including tailored treatment for each patient. The test was available for US doctors August 2011.
The technology is a proprietary method for identifying high risk endometrial cancer patients diagnosed with early stage cancer. Early stage cases are typically treated with surgery only but higher risk patients may be up-staged making them eligible to receive chemotherapy. This new method has the ability to identify a molecular component in early stage patients linked with high risk for disease progression. This discovery may provide future doctors with better possibilities for targeted and tailored cancer treatment.
BTO has been in charge of commercialising the discovery on behalf of Harvard and MIT. BTO negotiated and concluded the licence agreement with Ovagene, and filed patent for the use of the invention “Integrated Genomic Profiling of Endometrical Carcinomas Associates Aggressive Tumors with Indicators of P13 Kinase Activation” in the US.
Several international biotechnology companies and pharmaceutical companies have expressed interest in collaboration to further develop cancer tests and biomarkers to be used in targeted and tailored treatment, based on the findings. The researchers are currently working actively in collaboration with Ovagene to clarify the gene signature for more practical application.